Leeds MND clinic - where Leeds Rhinos' legend Rob Burrows receives care - reaches its 10th anniversary

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Motor Neurone Disease Care Centre reaches its milestone birthday under the leadership of Dr Agam Jung, the consultant neurologist who has been in the limelight recently for her work with Rob Burrow, who was diagnosed with MND in December 2019.

His high-profile autobiography, Too Many Reasons to Live, which is out this month, features Dr Agam Jung and her team and the care they have provided to Rob and his family over the past 18 months.

A specialist MND clinic at Seacroft Hospital in 2005 by Dr Johnson and was taken over by Dr Jung in 2011.

At that time it had 53 patients, a small team and just one clinic each month.

Now, the service supports on average 83 patients, with 40 new referrals each year - a figure which has been steadily rising over the past few years.

There are now four clinics each month and a full team of 10 people, with a care delivery model which aims to place the patient and their family at the heart of care, and has the ability to coordinate across hospital sites, in hospice locations and at home.

In 2014 the centre received a visit from Princess Anne, who is patron of the MND Association, who described the clinic as “ a real centre of excellence”.

Two years later, the centre expanded further, adding in occupational therapy to its services and has continued to be closely involved in teaching and educating the local nursing and healthcare community on quality standards and techniques regarding MND care.

Dr Jung said: “I’m so proud of this service and of the care we deliver to patients and their families. Working in this team is so very special and unique, we’re like one holistic family supporting the patient and their family, who are at the centre of everything we do.

“Our service is growing and on the back of Rob’s brave and admirable story, there’s definitely a higher profile for what we do. This means we will continue to develop, to expand and to learn about this disease. We’re looking to the next 10 years and what they might bring for the care that we offer and hopefully the research around MND.”

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