People with muscular dystrophy are being driven to depression and suicidal thoughts by a lack of support from the NHS, with some doctors advising patients to Google the condition on diagnosis, a charity has found.
There are more than 60 types of muscle-wasting conditions affecting about 70,000 people in the UK and Muscular Dystrophy UK says that their rare nature mean that those affected are often left abandoned and isolated with nowhere to turn. It surveyed 700 people with such conditions and found that more than half experienced feelings of depression, a fifth had suicidal thoughts and one in four were forced to wait more than three years for their diagnosis after first raising concerns with a health professional.
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There are more than 60 genetic muscle-wasting conditions. The charity Muscular Dystrophy UK says the NHS is not giving patients enough support to cope with what is often a difficult diagnosis. Photograph: Mopic / Alamy/Alamy
Filed under: NHS, Uncategorized, abandoned., isolated, muscular dystrophy, NHS, suicidal thoughts
