West Midlands Neuromuscular Network Upskilling event

MDUK's West Midlands Network are excited to announce the return of our in-person Neuromuscular Network Upskilling event. The 2022 edition will take place at the Midlands Arts Centre, at the absolute heart of Birmingham city centre. We will be welcoming over 80 paediatric and adult neurologists, neuromuscular doctors, trainees, physios, orthotists, OT's, speech and language therapists, allied health workers and specialist nurses.

The event will provide you with a comprehensive overview of Myotonic Dystrophy and will improve your knowledge, updating you on new trials and developments in the diagnosis, management, as well as treatment of Myotonic Dystrophy. It will also aim to help you develop a clinical approach for the understanding and manage of the disease. The event covers areas including genetics, new treatments and potential trials, cardiac and respiratory physiotherapy needs, as well as looking into the end of life and palliative and advance care plans.

Alongside our scheduled tasks, there will be refreshments available throughout the day along with a lunch, for participants to have an opportunity to socialise with one another.

please find below a provisional agenda for the conference:

9:30 - 9:45: Registration

9:45 - 9:55: Welcome and introduction, Prof. Tracey Willis, Paediatric neurologist

9:55 - 10:35: Overview of Myotonic Dystrophy; including genetics and new potential trials and studies, Prof. Mark Roberts, consultant neurologist - TBC

10:35 - 11:05: Cardiac manifestations in the DM1 and treatments, Dr. Adrian Morley-Davies, consultant cardiologist - TBC

11:05 - 11:45: Physiotherapy needs in DM1 (and orthotics) , Nick Emery, neuromuscular clinical specialist physiotherapist.

11:45 - Break

12:05 - 12:35: Respiratory care in DM1, Dr. Ajit Thomas, Honorary Clinical Lecturer and Jenny Moustoukas, specialist neuromuscular physiotherapist - TBC

12:35 - 13:00: Dysphagia and Speech and language issues in DM1, SALT - TBC

13:00 - Lunch

14:00 - 14:40: Palliative care and advance care plans in the DM1 - what have we learnt?, Prof. Derek Willis, medical director at Severn Hospice, and Claire Bassie, Neuromuscular Clinical Nurse Specialist.

14:40 - 15:15: Patient perspective and effects on the family, interview with Prof. Tracey Willis - TBC

15:15 - 15:45: What can we offer?, MDA and MDUK - TBC

15:45 - 16:00: Summing up and end of meeting; feedback, future meetings and dates, Prof. Tracey Willis, Paediatric neurologist

16:00 - Close

Host or Publisher Muscular Dystrophy UK