Teams and services
Multidisciplinary MND clinic
One appointment where several of the people who look after you see you in turn, instead of you travelling to each of them separately.
A service you are referred to, rather than one person you meet.
A multidisciplinary clinic brings the team to you. Rather than separate appointments across months, several professionals see you in one visit and then talk to each other about what they found. It is tiring, and it is the arrangement most strongly associated with better care in ALS/MND. You do not have to see everyone every time.
How you reach this person, and who pays, depends on where you live. Set your country in Location and Compass will show what applies there.
What they can help with
- Seeing several professionals in one visit rather than across several months
- The team comparing notes about you, which rarely happens otherwise
- Picking up changes earlier, because more people are looking
- Reducing how often you have to repeat your history
- Access to trials and to specialist equipment pathways, which are often clinic-linked
When you might meet them
- As early after diagnosis as you can be referred
- At intervals afterwards, usually every two to three months, adjusted to how you are
- Sooner if something has changed
Things you could ask about
- Who will I actually see, and can I ask for someone specific?
- How long will the visit take, and can I break it up if it is too much?
- Can someone come with me, and can they be in the room?
- What happens between visits, and who do I ring?
- Can any of this be done closer to home, or by video?
Not to be confused with
Not a place you have to attend to get good care. Many people live too far from one, and several of the same professionals can be assembled locally. Distance from a clinic is a practical problem to solve, not a verdict on your care.