Motor Neurone Disease Research Nurse

Job summary

• Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare neurological condition that causes the degeneration (deterioration and loss of function) of the motor system (the cells and nerves in the brain and spinal cord which control the muscles in our bodies).
• This results in weakness and wasting of the muscles which can result in progressive weakness in the arms, legs, speech and swallowing and sometimes breathing. MND is progressive and symptoms worsen over time. Sadly, MND severely reduces life expectancy and most people with MND die within five years of the onset of symptoms.
• The South West London and Surrey MND Care and Research Network was launched in September 2024 and aims to provide excellent and equitable access to clinical care and research across the regions. The network is lea led by two consultant neurologists with an interested in MND.
• Clinical research and clinical trials are vital to improve the treatment options for people living with MND. At St Georges we are supported by a band 7 lead neurology nurse and two band 6 MND research practitioners and are currently actively recruiting to a number of clinical trials.
• The focus of this role is to ensure all people living with MND in South West London and Surrey have the opportunity to discuss clinical research with a knowledgeable practitioner who can also support our regional network of health care professional providing clinical care to people living with MND in the region.

Main duties of the job

Contribute to the progress of MND research and clinical trials, dedicating 100% of efforts to supporting, delivering, and leading initiatives that contribute to breakthroughs in MND care and understanding.

Collaborate effectively with the MND Association to support the strategic development and growth of the Research Nurse Network.

Oversee and support clinical trials and research efforts aimed at improving outcomes for people living with MND, playing a pivotal role in facilitating high-quality research and trial execution.

Conduct assessments and ongoing monitoring for people living with MND (plwMND) as they enter and participate in research, ensuring thorough, compassionate care and rigorous data collection.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure studies are conducted smoothly and in full compliance with protocols, legislation, and relevant guidelines.

Maintain and manage clinical study databases for plwMND, ensuring accuracy and currency of all research data to support impactful findings.

Serve as an expert resource for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, offering information and support on MND research and clinical trials.

Handle additional responsibilities essential to the efficient operation of MND research and trial initiatives, contributing to the effective management and execution of all related tasks.

About us

St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one oft he UK's largest healthcare organisations and has recently integrated with Community Services Wandsworth. The Trust shares it's main hospital site in south west London with St. George's University of London and is linked to Kingston Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences. St. George's has an established national and international reputation as a leading hospital for specialist careincluding neuroscience, cardiac care, stroke and cancer. We provide excellent local care to the residents of Wandsworth and regional care as both, a hyper-acute stroke unit and trauma centre.

As well as acute hospital services, St. George's provides a wide variety of specialist and community hospital-based care and a full range of community services to children, adults, older people and people with learning disabilities. These services are provided from St George's Hospital, Tooting, Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, 11 health centres and clinics, schools and nurseries, patients' homes and Wandsworth Prison.

We employ over 8,000 staff have an annual income of £560m, around 1,100 beds and we serve a population of 1.3 million across south west London.We expect all our staff to share the values that are important to the Trust - being excellent, kind, responsible and respectful - and behave in a way that reflects these.