North Tyneside Council has pledged its support to a national campaign for people living with motor neurone disease (MND).
The council’s cabinet has agreed to adopt the Motor Neurone Disease Charter signalling its commitment to help and support those who suffer from the disease and their carers.
Motor neurone disease is a fatal, incurable disease which affects the brain and spinal cord, and claims the lives of six people in the UK every day, with as many as 5,000 adults living with the disease in the country at any one time.
Councils provide many of the services that MND sufferers rely on, such as social care, housing adaptations, and support for carers, as well as supporting the Champion the Charter campaign.
The council will work to raise awareness of MND and promote the five key principles of the Charter to councillors, council staff, partner agencies, and providers of health and social care services in North Tyneside.
Colin Hardy, from Berwick, is the Campaigns Contact Volunteer for the MND Association Group.
He said: “North Tyneside Council's adoption of the Charter is both inspirational and emotional, the presentation of the motion to the full council meeting embraced everything the charter stands for.
"It covered everything from raising awareness to how the council could support people living with MND. North Tyneside becomes the 55th council nationally and the fifth in the north to adopt the Charter, and the video of adoption will inspire other councils to follow.
"I could not have asked for anything more and I can’t thank the council enough on behalf of everyone living with MND."
The Charter includes five key points:
- The right to an early diagnosis and information
- The right to access quality care and treatments
- The right to be treated as individuals and with dignity and respect
- The right to maximise their quality of life
- Carers of people with MND have the right to be valued, respected, listened to and well-supported
Councillor Margaret Hall, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Health and Wellbeing, said: “MND is a cruel disease that makes life very difficult for those who have it, as well as the people who love and support them.
“By adopting this Charter we are making a commitment to raise awareness and promote the five principles to all our fellow councillors, council employees, and agencies who deliver health and social care services across the borough.
“As a council we will do whatever we can to improve the quality of life of people who are battling MND.”
For further information please visit www.mndassociation.org/mndcharter