John Leech MP Supports Fight to Improve Services for Vulnerable Patients

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st May 2008

It is estimated 1 in 1,000 people in John's constituency alone are living with muscle disease

MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, met with constituent Ben Dale at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Parliamentary Reception to lobby the government to improve specialist services for people with neuromuscular conditions.

A new report published by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign reveals that patients with chronic conditions are being denied access to ongoing physiotherapy by the NHS.

John Leech MP stated:

"The report concludes that sufferers of neuromuscular conditions need physiotherapy to maintain the best possible quality of life."

"Yet NHS physiotherapy is often reserved for those patients where improvements can be visibly detected. Patients with neuromuscular conditions do not fall in to this category and so have to fund private physiotherapy or go without."

"This simply is not fair. It is estimated 1 in 1,000 people in my constituency alone are living with muscle disease. I will continue to support Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in their fight to get this recognised by the government and the NHS."

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