Let down no longer: Graham Evans MP vows to help disabled : Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale
Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale

Let down no longer: Graham Evans MP vows to help disabled

Graham Evans has pledged to support muscle disease patients and help them secure better health services. Graham signed up to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign& 39;s Manifesto for Muscle in the lead up to the election on 6 May, promising backing for constituents with muscle disease in their fight for better healthcare services if elected.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and families in Weaver Vale living with muscle disease were pleased to hear someone who appreciates neuromuscular issues had been elected and are looking forward to working together in the struggle against muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting conditions.

Graham hopes to be a vital link for local patients and families by raising awareness of muscle-wasting conditions and putting pressure on the NHS to improve health services. So far the support of MPs has been invaluable for muscle disease campaigners - they have given patients and families their backing at meetings in Parliament and in confronting regional health bosses, and have spoken at muscle group meetings about local campaigning.

Among the pledges Graham made were meeting with families in their area who are living with muscle disease and backing them in their campaigns to secure more healthcare investment from the NHS. They will also meet with local members of the youth disability campaigning arm, Trailblazers.

In the North West the main issues facing muscle disease patients are:

  • a lack of information and support at diagnosis
  • a complete absence of ongoing physiotherapy
  • withdrawal of vital services once a patient reaches adulthood
  • difficulty accessing existing facilities, particularly hydrotherapy pools, which significantly improve many patients& 39; quality of life
  • obstacles to receiving specialist equipment such as wheelchairs.

Graham commented "When I was growing up, one of my close relatives suffered from muscle disease. It is one of the reasons I got involved in politics in the first place. I made this commitment to supporting muscle disease patients and their families, because I believe they need, and deserve, much better healthcare. I& 39;m now keen to take up the challenge of helping these people fight for better care and services, and hope I can be of use in the campaigning work they do."

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign& 39;s head of policy and campaigns Nic Bungay said "We are very grateful for Graham& 39;s support in our fight for better muscle disease services in the North West. It will lend real weight to our campaign and means a lot to constituent families living with muscle disease."

To find out more about the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and its work in the North West go to www.muscular-dystrophy.org.