Rob Burrow’s family make mark on MND centre bearing his name

Lindsey Burrow, together with Maya, nine, Macy, 12, and Jackson, five, made permanent concrete handprints and marks in concrete slabs which are to be used in the landscaping of the new centre.

This marks a significant construction milestone as the foundations were laid of the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital.

Hospital bosses at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust hope the new centre will be a hub of innovation, education and excellence for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in the region, bringing together holistic patient-centred care and excellent nursing standards in a purpose-built environment.

It says the bespoke unit will imitate the team’s care model, placing the patient and their family at the centre, with the capacity for delivering excellent care, support and MND education built around their needs.

The brand-new centre will see all of the Trust’s MND services housed under one roof for the first time, in an accessible location. The centre will create comfortable and peaceful surroundings for patients and their families, including space to reflect after difficult conversations.

The centre will also be built with a vision for the future, able to support patients with MND today whilst adapting to new innovations and treatments.

The new centre was the vision of Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist and clinical lead for the motor neurone disease service at the trust. He said: “We want to provide a safe haven for our patients and their families – a peaceful environment that reiterates to them that they have the best possible care, helping them ‘live in the now’, a serene place that instils hope and courage.”

Before he died in June, Rob Burrow said of the project: “My vision is that people diagnosed with MND hear the news in a calming and tranquil sanctuary.

“I envisage a beautiful, welcoming building that is user and family friendly.

“A place where patients feel comfortable to bring family members into a safe and homely environment for them, with signs of hope and optimism.”