The service works with the adult neuromuscular services at St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital. The renowned Lane Fox respiratory unit at St Thomas’ Hospital ensures a smooth transition for young people moving to adult services.
The children’s neuromuscular service is a leading centre for research into inherited conditions. They work with King’s College London and with research networks internationally. This is to investigate the causes of neuromuscular disorders, to identify cures.
The neuromuscular service is supported by spinal, orthopaedic, intensive care, endocrine, cardiology and respiratory services at Evelina Children’s Hospital.
How to access the service
They provide an accessible, consultant led service mainly for the South Thames Region of England. There is national provision of gene therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy.
Different outreach clinics are also provided. These include Chailey Heritage in the South Coast and at Valence School, a special needs school in Kent.
The team
The service is led by 5 consultants who have expertise in the diagnosis and management of neuromuscular disorders.
Dr Vasantha Gowda
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist (Service Lead)
Dr Vasantha Gowda is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at the Evelina Children's Hospital.
Dr Elizabeth Wraige
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Doctor Elizabeth Wraige has been working as a consultant children's neurologist at Evelina Hospital since 2003. She has held clinics in general children's neurology, neuromuscular disease and cerebrovascular disease. Elizabeth also runs outreach clinics to several areas in the south east Thames region.
Dr Maria Vanegas
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Professor Heinz Jungbluth
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Doctor Heinz Jungbluth has been a consultant and senior lecturer in children's neurology at the Evelina since 2004. Doctor Jungbluth’s main research interest is in neurogenetics. He has been leading on the characterisation of inherited neurological and neuromuscular disorders.
Dr Rahul Singh
Dedicated neonatal neurologist
Jennie Sheehan
Specialist Paediatrics Neuromuscular Physiotherapist
Jennie has been at Guys and St Thomas for twenty years and been based at Evelina Children’s Hospital for the last ten. Jennie is a member of the Northstar Steering Committee, which works to improve the care of young patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She is one of the authors who developed the Northstar Physiotherapy Assessment. This is widely used both in clinical practice and research.
Other key people in the team include:
- Emma Standing, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Sirrane Vishnu Vardhan, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Amy Wolfe, Specialist Neuromuscular Physiotherapist
- Alex Schofield, Specialist Neuromuscular Physiotherapist
- Helen Cranney, Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist
- Samantha Millar, Gene therapy co-ordinator
- Isabella Malloney, Paediatric Neuromuscular OT
- Dr Anne Gordon, Chief Children's Therapist
- Frances Court-Brown, Paediatric Dietitian
- Anne Breaks, Paediatric SLT
- Aoife Skeffington, Paediatric SLT
- Dr Jill Cadwgan, Consultant in medical feeding clinic
- Dr Gabriel Whitlingum, Consultant lead for behavioural feeding clinic
- Sarah Ross, genetic counsellors lead
- Steve Porter, paediatric orthotist
- Dr MIchael Absoud, neurodevelopmental paediatrician
- Dr Ashley Liew, paediatric psychiatrist
Clinics
Children
Clinics are held at Evelina Children's Hospital London.
Transition
The team works closely with the adult neuromuscular services at St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals and the Lane Fox Unit at St Thomas' Hospital.