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This is a group of experienced, knowledgeable professionals. These colleagues are the official representative core MDT and they are keen to establish the community and maintain it as a thriving learning and development environment.

The purpose of the Expert Core is to provide professional guidance and be the external face of the Community. It has a planning meeting twice a year to discuss ideas for activity and steer the direction of the community and more regular short meetings to consider suggestions coming in from the membership. Their role is to:

  • steer the development and maintain vitality of the MND Professionals’ Community of Practice
  • provide expert feedback on the development of Association resources
  • help sustain and moderate the MND Professionals’ Community of Practice online forum providing specialist responses to community posed questions as necessary.

Your expert core

Chair: Jan Clarke

Consultant Nurse for MND National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London

Anthony Hanratty

MND Nurse Specialist & Care Centre Coordinator and Independent Nurse Prescriber, Middlesbrough MND Care Centre

Samantha Parry

MND Coordinator, King's College Hospital, London and Chair of the British Dietetic Association Neurosciences Group

Rachael Marsden

Nurse Consultant for Motor Neurone Disease, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

Caroline Bidder

Network Lead Care Coordinator, South Wales MND Care Network

Karen Robinson

Consultant Dietitian

Jennifer Benson

Independent Speech and Language Therapist specialising in MND

Alison Morton

Palliative & End of Life Care Lead, Dorset County Hospital

Dr Emily Mayberry

Senior Clinical Psychologist, Sheffield MND Care Centre and Clinical Neuropsychology Services, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Kerry Connor

Social Worker

Kathryn Crawford

Respiratory Specialist Physiotherapist, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Katie Gibbon

MND Care Co-ordinator, South Wales MND Care Network

Dr Malabika Ghosh

Principal OT for Cognition & Clinical Academic Fellow, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust

Phillippa Sharpe

Specialist Occupational Therapist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Charlotte Massey

Specialist physiotherapist, currently completing a PhD at the University of Sheffield on cough and secretion issues in MND

Dr Claire Stockdale

Palliative Medicine Consultant, Severn Hospice, Shropshire

Rhiannon Evans

Speech and Language Therapist, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Emma Wood

Clinical Lead Dietitian, South Tess NHS Foundation Trust Hospital

Charlotte Hardaker

Respiratory Physiotherapist, Bristol

Tracey McDonald

MND Specialist Physiotherapist, Lancashire & South Cumbria

Kelly Smith

Advanced Physiotherapist, Newcastle MND Centre

Jenny Rolfe

Consultant Occupational Therapist

Wendy Ashton

Social Worker – Association of Palliative Care Social Workers (APCSW)