This year, The National Centre for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) celebrates its 10 year anniversary.
In 2011, the Nottingham LAM group bid to run a national clinical centre under NHS England’s National Commissioning scheme for Highly Specialised Services. Based at the QMC, with Professor Simon Johnson from the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, as the LAM Centre Director, the service was commissioned at around £1m over a five year period and works closely with colleagues in genetics, thoracic surgery, lung function, urology and lung transplant.
Pictured (L-R): Hollie Gorensweigh, LAM Specialist Nurse, Professor Simon Johnson, LAM Centre Director, Sharon Fuller, LAM Specialist Nurse, Wendy Somerfield, LAM Centre Co-ordinator
In conjunction with the University of Nottingham, the LAM centre is also a hub for LAM research including clinical trials of new therapies, evaluation of biomarkers, outcome prediction and laboratory research into the molecular basis of the disease, funded by the MRC, NIHR, British Lung Foundation LAM Action and the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.
Pictured (L-R): Hollie Gorensweigh, LAM Specialist Nurse, Professor Simon Johnson, LAM Centre Director, Sharon Fuller, LAM Specialist Nurse, Wendy Somerfield, LAM Centre Co-ordinator
Over the last 10 years, the centre has seen over 400 patients, representing most UK women with LAM and currently have 228 on the caseload that visit the centre regularly. Patients come from all over the country and overseas to access the service and have all aspects of their care coordinated on the same day, which has improved care quality, reduced patient inconvenience and reduced costs.