Dentists, GPs and other healthcare professionals are being offered training to help them recognise potential early signs of motor neurone disease (MND).
The RACE to Diagnose programme will provide guidance to professionals who may encounter patients showing early signs of the illness.
MND can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages, and it is hoped that earlier access to treatment will improve outcomes.
The programme is being launched by the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the charity established by former Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir, who died in November 2022 after living with MND for six years.
Jessica Lee, director of research at the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “MND is not common, its early signs can vary considerably and there is no single test that tells you conclusively that someone has it.
“That means people can move between different parts of the healthcare system before they reach the right specialist.
“RACE to diagnose gives professionals practical guidance on what to look for, how to assess what they are seeing and when to make an urgent referral.”
“As treatments begin to emerge, reaching people earlier in the course of the disease may be critical to giving those treatments the best possible chance of having an effect.
“But earlier diagnosis is about much more than treatment.
“It can give people with MND and their families more time to understand what is happening, access the right support, adapt their homes and decide how they want to approach the future.”
Early signs of MND can include progressive or unexplained muscle weakness and wasting, along with changes affecting speech, the tongue or swallowing.
The training will also advise healthcare professionals on how to explain an urgent referral without causing unnecessary alarm, and what clinical information to provide so specialist teams can assess and prioritise patients.
