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Princess Royal opens wheelchair service As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the Princess chatted to patients, staff and representatives of all the organisations that made the MND Wheelchair service partnership possible. At the end of her tour, she unveiled a plaque and gave a speech in which she described the facility at Leeds Teaching Hospitals as “a real centre of excellence.” The wheelchair service has two objectives: firstly to ensure a dedicated MND therapist provides posture and mobility assessments for people with MND, and secondly to work with leading UK wheelchair manufacturers to develop powered wheelchairs that can be modified for patients as the disease progresses (reducing reassessments and the need for replacement wheelchairs while having the ability to integrate communication aids and environmental controls).
Royal backing: Princess Anne unveiled the plaque to an audience of staff, patients and visitors
During her visit to Seacroft, Princess Anne met the Leeds MND Wheelchair Therapist, Christine Orr, and representatives of the UK’s three main wheelchair manufacturers. Christine, based at the Wheelchair Service at Seacroft, attends the Leeds Care Centre clinics and works collaboratively with other wheelchair services across the area. Consultant Dr Agam Jung, who leads the Regional Motor Neurone Disease Care Centre, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have welcomed the Princess to Seacroft. It’s a real boost for both our team and patients to have the MNDA’s Royal Patron officially open this important service. “Motor Neurone Disease is an incredibly debilitating illness for which there is no cure. The wheelchair service helps people living with MND enjoy more mobility. Chris is doing a wonderful job working with patients and helping them make the adaptions to live more independently,” Dr Jung added.
Royal Patron: The princess met Christine Orr, Motor Neurones Disease Wheelchair Therapist, and some of the patients and families she supports.
NHSBT Chief praises our record on transplants Lynda Hamlyn, Chief Executive of our partners at NHS Blood and Transplant, was full of praise for the work of LTHT staff who promote organ donation and undertake transplants, when she visited Leeds General Infirmary. She spoke of Leeds as an “exemplar” for other hospitals to follow and told staff they had lots to be proud of in terms
of their role in helping improve the availability of donor organs, giving more seriously ill people the chance of life. During the visit she met our Chief Medical Officer Dr Yvette Oade, our clinical leads for organ donation at both LGI and St James’s, and our specialist nurses for organ donation, as well as staff in intensive care.
Impressed: Lynda Hamlyn (left) was guided by Dr Yvette Oade and the transplant team
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