Members of the South West Surrey Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association welcomed Jeremy Hunt MP to a special meeting to raise awareness of the support needed for people living with MND in his constituency.
Around 20 people gathered at the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice which boasts a room sponsored by the South West Surrey Branch of the MND Association and also offers a range of services for some members of the Branch.
Helen Hawkins from the MND Association (pictured) told Mr Hunt: “Because the progression of MND can be very rapid it is vital that people are provided with the right care and equipment quickly to ensure they and their families have the best support and therefore quality of life possible.
“As a constituency MP Mr Hunt was incredibly supportive and engaged and of course his role in the cabinet means that his interest and knowledge is important for people living with MND wherever they live. He agreed that an early diagnosis of MND enables health and social care professionals to put support in place to improve quality of life.”
Bob Hodgson (pictured) is a long term committee member and volunteer from the South West Surrey Branch of the MND Association. He said: “I lost my wife and brother-in-law to a rare familial (inherited) form of MND and education among health and social care professionals and raising awareness in general of MND is vital.
“We were so grateful to Mr Hunt to take the time to visit us and find out more about the particular problems facing people with MND locally.”
Jeremy said, ‘I was pleased to be able to meet with the South West Surrey branch of the MNDA and particularly thankful to those suffering with the disease, their carers and those who have cared for loved ones with MND for giving up their time to talk to me about their experiences. Ensuring better care for those with long term conditions is one of my top priorities as Secretary of State for Health and it is clear that those with MND need to have easy access to specialist advisors to ensure the best quality of life possible.'