• Muscular dystrophy, including
  • autosomal recessive, childhood type
  • benign [Becker]
  • benign scapuloperoneal with early contractures [Emery-Dreifuss]
  • distal
  • facioscapulohumeral
  •  limb-girdle
  • ocular
  • oculopharyngeal
  • scapuloperoneal
  • Duchenne
• INCLUDES: congenital muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy, including:
  • central core disease
  • minicore  disease
  • multicore disease
  • Fibre-type disproportion
  • myotubular (centronuclear)
  • nemaline
  • unspecified hereditary myopathy
• Drug-induced/Alcoholic/toxic agent/inflammatory myopathy 
• Myopathy in infectious/parasitic disease
• Myopathy in endocrine disease
  • hyperparathyroidism
  • hypoparathyroidism
  • Thyrotoxic myopathy
• Myopathy in metabolic disease
  • glycogen storage disease
  • lipid storage disorders  
• Periodic paralysis, including:
  • Periodic paralysis (familial)
  • hyperkalaemic  
  • hypokalaemic
  • myotonic
  • normokalaemic
• Myopathy in other diseases:
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • scleroderma
  • sicca syndrome [Sjögren]
  • systemic lupus erythematosus
• Paraneoplastic neuromyopathy
  • Carcinomatous neuromyopathy

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) covers a particular definition set of neuromuscular conditions specified by NHS England. We have split these down into six main categories as listed below. 

• Mitochondrial diseases
• Muscular Dystrophies and Myopathies
• Myasthenias
• Myotonias
• Neuropathies
• Other/Unclassified

If you do not see your condition listed, please do call the Network office and we will see if we can support you in another way or redirect you to the most appropriate organisation. 

The network does not cover the following conditions as there are other organisations/charities that offer a great deal of support for these patients:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Motor Neurone Disease
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Cerebral Palsy

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) currently has a Network Manager, Natalie Smith, and Network Coordinator, Jo McTiernan, based at Southmead Hospital Bristol.

For any queries relating to the SWNODN please contact the Network Manager in the first instance on 0117 41 41185.

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) employs four Neuromuscular Advisors hosted by Southmead Hospital Bristol and Derriford Hospital Plymouth.  Their role is to be a key resource for children and adults who have a neuromuscular condition, and their families and carers.  Each Neuromuscular Advisor covers a region of the South West.   They attend the paediatric and adult neuromuscular clinics to meet with patients and provide additional information at the point of diagnosis.  They are also available to discuss issues over the phone or to visit patients and families at home if necessary. They can facilitate access to local help and support services as needed, to optimise independent living and patient self-management as much as possible. 

Find out more about the Neuromuscular Advisor's role: 

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) employs three Paediatric Neuromuscular Physiotherapists and three Adult Neuromuscular Physiotherapists.   The Neuromuscular Physiotherapists attend paediatric, transition and adult neuromuscular clinics around the region, providing specialist advice and support to patients, families and carers.  They are also a valuable resource for advising, supporting and training local teams in various aspects of the specific physiotherapy assessment and management of neuromuscular conditions.  Community Physiotherapists are always very welcome to attend specialist neuromuscular clinics along with their patients.  The Neuromuscular Physiotherapists will liaise with Community Physiotherapists about their patients as necessary, but especially before and after a clinic visit.

Our Neuromuscular Physiotherapists may attend home or school visits, as required, with a Neuromuscular Advisor and can offer ongoing advice and support to patients and their families to help them deal with the physical challenges of a neuromuscular condition. 

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) employs two Psychologists who are based at Southmead Hospital Bristol and Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. They are available to meet with adult patients during specialist neuromuscular clinics, for direct therapeutic work and can also offer telephone consultations if required. They offer psychological advice and support for adults to help with the emotional challenges that can arise, both at the point of diagnosis of a neuromuscular condition and going forward. They work closely with local Clinical Psychology teams around the South West to provide support and specialist knowledge about the challenges of neuromuscular conditions. They can also provide support to families during the transition from paediatric to adult NHS services. 

The South West Neuromuscular Operational Delivery Network (SWNODN) employs two Paediatric Neurologists and two Adult Neurologists who have a specialist interest in neuromuscular conditions. They hold weekly paediatric and adult neuromuscular clinics in Plymouth and Bristol, as well as a number of regular clinics across the South West. For further information about these, please go to the Clinics section of this website.

Each consultant is supported in the neuromuscular clinics by a Neuromuscular Physiotherapist, a Neuromuscular Advisor and a Specialist Clinical Psychologist who are available to provide information and advice. Additional local specialist clinicians and allied healthcare professionals who specialise in other areas of medicine such as respiratory, cardiac and genetics, may also attend joint clinics (this is often called a multi-disciplinary clinic). This ensures patients receive the best treatment and medical care possible relevant to their specific condition.

Consultant Neurologists

The SWNODN employs two Consultant Neurologists who have a specialist interest in neuromuscular conditions. They provide neuromuscular clinics for adults with a neuromuscular condition across the South West and are based in Southmead Hospital Bristol and Mount Gould Hospital, Plymouth. 

Consultant Paediatric Neurologists

The SWNODN employs two Consultant Paediatric Neurologists, both based in the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The Paediatric Neurologists look after children with a neuromuscular condition from the point of diagnosis up until the age of 16, at which point they will help guide the child and their family through the process of transition into the adult neurology services.

GMC Number: 6103163

Year of first qualification: 2004

Specialty: Anaesthetics

GMC Number: 6043431

Specialty: Radiology

Clinical interests: Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary and General Imaging

Secretary: Janette Burnette

Telephone: 0117 414 9014

GMC Number: 7047324

Year of first qualification: 2003

Specialty: Neuroradiology

Clinical Interest: Paediatric Neuroradiology

Secretary: Caroline Hawkins

I graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2003 winning prizes in Surgery and Paediatrics. Following completion of basic surgical training in Dublin and award of the MRCS I undertook general radiology training in Bristol leading to award of the FRCR in 2012.

Following this I gained a place on the Sheffield Neuroradiology fellowship with emphasis on fetal and paediatric neuroimaging. During this time I published papers in peer reviewed journals and presented at national and international meetings.

My main interests are the developing brain including fetal neuroimaging, neonatal imaging and imaging in non-accidental injury. Another keen interest is medical education especially the training of radiology registrars and medical students.

Away from work I like to keep fit especially swimming and am an avid ball sports fan.

I am a member of the BMA, British Society of Neuroradiologists and the MDU.