The respiratory services for adults and children involve a multi-disciplinary weekly respiratory hub clinic with input from physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and dietetics.
How to access the service
Patients can be referred to the services at Birmingham Heartlands by their GP or hospital consultant
The team
Dr Deepak Parasuraman
Consultant neurologist
Dr Parasuraman joined the team in 2017 and is a Council member of the British Myology Society.
Dr Zoya Alhaswani
Consultant neurologist
Dr Alhaswani is a consultant paediatrician with special interest in paediatric neuromuscular disorders. She completed her training in paediatrics and paediatric neurodisability in the West Midlands, UK; during which she developed an interest in neuromuscular disorders. She joined the Muscle team in 2018 and is based at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She is particularly interested in improving transition services for young people with neuromuscular conditions, in consultation with young people and their families.
Dr Rahul Mukerjee
Consultant Respiratory Physician
Dr Mukherjee leads the Respiratory Service at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital seeing both adults and children with respiratory involvement. Patients have access to a weekly multidisciplinary Respiratory hub clinic where they have access to a physiotherapist, dietician, speech and language therapist and care advisor at a single appointment.
Jane O'Connor
Care Advisor
Jane provides emotional, advocacy and advice support for both adults and children living with muscle disease and is based at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital. Jane also provides support at other clinics throughout the West Midlands. Get in touch with Jane by E: jane.oconnor@heartofengland.nhs.uk or T: 0121 424 0689.
Doctor Daniel Park
Consultant Respiratory Physician
Dr Park is a Consultant Respiratory Physician with an interest in non-invasive ventilation. He is part of the Heartlands team supporting adult patients with respiratory problems due to neuromuscular disease.
Sue Gallagher
Regional Care Advisor
Sue supports and offers advice and information to the parents of children and young people with neuromuscular conditions. Sue is a registered social worker and accredited BACP counsellor. Sue organises the Muscle SmArt_group that meets in school holidays, encouraging and getting together children between the ages of 6yrs - 16yrs with a range of muscle conditions. Get in touch with Sue by E: Susan.gallagher@heartofengland.nhs.uk or T: 0121 424 0689.
Dr Titus Ninan
Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician
Dr Ninan is a Paediatric Respiratory Consultant who has worked in this field for over 20 years. Dr Ninan leads a multi disciplinary team consisting of nurses and physiotherapist within the Clinic. When children and young adults are admitted to the wards he reviews them with the MDT Team and organises management plans for their inpatient stay and when they are discharged. Dr Ninan runs a weekly clinic assessing lung health in children with neuromuscular problems on a Monday afternoon at Heartlands Hospital.
Other key people in the team include:
- Anna Davies, Paediatric NIV Physiotherapist
- Cathy Wogan, Paediatric Respiratory Nurse Specialist
- Harvey Tagger, Clinical Psychologist
- Barbara Dovaston, Nutritionist
- Lorna Hull, Paediatric Dietician
- Roza Dimitriou, Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Jonathan Spilsbury, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
- Dr Julie Vogt, Consultant Clinical Geneticist
- Dr Ashish Chikerman, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist
- Dr Nick Shaw, Consultant Endocrinologist and metabolic bone specialist
Clinics
Children & Adults
Clinics are held at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
- Paediatric neuromuscular clinic
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy steroid clinic
- Spinal muscular atrophy clinic
- Neuromuscular respiratory hub clinic