Pioneering partnership in South helps to transform Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients

WATCH: ITV Meridian's Stacey Poole has been to meet those who are using the clinic to see how it's transforming lives. 

A pioneering partnership is transforming the lives of young men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the south.

The condition means that every muscle in the body gradually loses strength, including the heart - and so those affected spend a huge amount of time in hospital.

Now, University Hospital Southampton and Jacks Place Hospice in Winchester have come together to offer a clinic with treatment options in one place.

The partnership is a UK-first and means that patients can be seen by everyone from cardiologists to physiotherapists at one appointment, not in a hospital.

This has dramatically improved quality of life for those with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and has meant hospital visits have largely disappeared.

Josh Howard is a patient and over time the condition has caused him to lose the ability to walk, his arms are getting weaker and his heart has also been affected.

He said: "This clinic has made a huge difference. It takes the stress and fear out of appointments and means you get more time to discuss what's going on. I couldn't ask for a better clinic."

Cardiologists, physiotherapists, palliative care workers and neurologists all come together in one place, at the same time, to offer a gold standard of care.

Amanda Brain, Specialist in palliative care, said she hopes this clinic will make a challenging condition as easy as it possibly can be, offering patients exactly what they need.