Raising awareness of muscle wasting conditions amongst health professionals

22 May 2024

Over 80% of you who responded to our community survey said increasing understanding of muscle wasting and weakening conditions was a key priority. We listened and took action. This week, we held an engagement and networking event for non-neuromuscular specialist health professionals to learn more about the more than 60 conditions we support you with.  

It was great to see more than 100 health professionals and representatives of professional bodies and networks at our evening event at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The event allowed us to connect with professionals who may have never supported someone with a muscle wasting or weakening condition – but who could play a vital role in providing support in the future.

Our presence at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show gave us a unique hook to bring so many professionals together in one location and promote the upskilling opportunities we offer. It was also a chance for these health professionals to meet with experts in the field of muscle wasting conditions and people living with a muscle wasting condition.

The evening opened with an introduction about what we do and the importance of these events from Professor Michael Hanna, Chair of our charity. As the UK’s governing body for GPs education and training, Dr Dirk Pilat, Medical Director for Professional Development at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) followed with a speech on the importance of taking part in e-modules for neuromuscular conditions and working collaboratively to improve outcomes for our community.  

We know that having healthcare professionals who understand your conditions and how to support you makes all the difference.

By building new relationships and networks through events like this, we’re able to share knowledge and widen the understanding of muscle wasting and weakening conditions across all areas of the NHS.  

Our team spent the evening chatting to healthcare professionals about the work we do, the wide variety of muscle wasting and weakening conditions, and the support we can offer professionals to increase their understanding.

We promoted the benefits of attendees joining our Regional Neuromuscular networks. These networks bring together neuromuscular clinicians and allied health professionals in their local area and encourage discussions around how best to support those receiving care from specialist and community neuromuscular services. They also allow healthcare professionals to keep up to date with local challenges and find out about the support that’s available.

Our campaigns team will be following up with all attendees this week to get their feedback on the event and further outline the ways in which the attendees and any of their colleagues can develop their understanding of muscle wasting and weakening conditions.