13 February 2007 Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital accredited
Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital was accredited as the North of England’s only Ataxia Centre of Excellence on 13 February 2007.
Dr Marios Hadjivassiliou is the neurologist in charge of the Ataxia Centre at the Royal Hallamshire. His pioneering work is officially recognised by Ataxia UK.
Ataxia UK awarded a grant of £86,750 (over three years) to fund a part-time ataxia specialist nurse and to improve the service offered to people with ataxia across not just the North of England but also nationally.
The Centre responds directly to a need identified by people affected by ataxia and is run by a clinician and his team with expertise in the condition.
The ataxia clinic at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital was established twelve years ago. Since then more than 400 patients with ataxia have been assessed and the vast majority remain under regular follow-up. Most ataxias are progressive and patients’ needs are constantly changing. The appointment of a specialist ataxia nurse will optimise the support for existing patients and will create additional capacity for new patients with ataxia.
Dr Marios Hadjivassiliou is an honorary senior lecturer and Consultant Neurologist with particular interest in acquired ataxias. He is a former Visiting Consultant Neurologist at The Institute of Neurology in London and specialises in the field of Gluten Ataxia, a disease entity that was first characterised at the department of neurology in Sheffield. The role of gluten sensitivity in neurological dysfunction remains his major research interest. He has made Sheffield the focus of international attention through this pioneering work, and indeed the recognition of the expertise of this ataxia clinic is apparent in the fact that it has for years received referrals both domestically and from abroad.
Two local charitable trusts have also contributed to the funding of this grant to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, underscoring the importance locally of this national recognition.
Dr Marios Hadjivassiliou commented: “In order to become an Ataxia UK accredited centre we had to comply with a number of criteria. Attending the Ataxia Clinic guarantees that a patient will receive care from a specialist with in-depth knowledge of ataxia. The clinic will also be continuously monitored by receiving patient feedback to ensure it responds to patients’ needs.”
Pit Rink, Chair of Ataxia UK, commented: “Our plan is to open a UK network of Accredited Ataxia Centres of Excellence with consistently excellent services and it is of great credit to Sheffield that the Royal Hallamshire Hospital is one of the very first.”
For the latest news from Ataxia UK and to join our media mailing list, contact Ataxia UK Press Officer Barnaby Levy on 020 7582 1444 pressoffice@ataxia.org.uk.
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