SLaM experts win award for Autism scan

SLaM's Professor Declan Murphy and colleagues from King's College London, led by Dr Christine Ecker, have won HEAL's NHS Innovation of the Year Award for their MRI autism scan breakthrough.

Professor Murphy's team developed the scan which will enable doctors to diagnose autism more cheaply and quickly. The rapid test has already proven more than 90 per cent accurate in adults and initial work shows it also works well in children.

"What the computer can do very quickly is to see that a patient has autism," said Professor Murphy, who supervised the research, "even though their brain, to the naked eye, looks very normal."

Professor Murphy said the award was a fantastic reward to the team, and in particular Dr Ecker, which had worked so hard to research and develop the autism scan.

"We are pleased that this award for 'NHS Innovation of the Year' recognises the clinical benefits of the innovative work that the Behavioural and Developmental Clinical Academic Group, with the King's Health Partners, has pioneered," Professor Murphy said.

"Our aim, together, is to pioneer more accurate, safe, and cost effective health innovations that meet the needs of service users and lead to more effective individualised diagnostic and treatment approaches."

Professor Murphy is a consultant psychiatrist in SLaM's Behavioural Disorders Service and the Behavioural Genetics Clinic, as well as Academic Director of the Behavioural and Developmental Clinical Academic Group at SLaM.

The Innovation of the Year Award, sponsored by Orana, was part of the NHS Healthcare, Excellence and Leadership (HEAL) Awards on Monday 25 October.

The awards were attended by over 250 healthcare professionals from across the country, as well as distinguished celebrities Barbara Windsor, Esther Rantzen, and Moira Stuart. The HEAL Awards aim to promote the NHS and its best practice and professionals.

The keynote speaker was Roy Lilley, founding member of the NHS Trust Federation and distinguished writer, broadcaster, and commentator on health and social issues took to the stage.

Dr Christine Ecker, lecturer at King's College College who pioneered the work with Professor Murphy on the scan, said upon receiving the award, "I feel super. We never expected to win because with psychiatry, you're working on something you can't touch or can't measure very well, so for us to win it's so nice."

SLaM's Behavioural Genetics Clinic is a unique, research lead service which offers an evidence-based approach to the assessment and treatment of people with neurodevelopmental disorders that are associated with cognitive abnormalities, behavioural problems or both.

We serve two patient groups who have complex genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. The first group are people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including autism and Asperger's syndrome. The second group of people are those with specific chromosomal abnormalities and single gene disorders, who present with difficulties, behavioural problems or cognitive abnormalities.

Information for patients, parents or carers:

Adults who are interested in being scanned will need to ask their GP, consultant or health professional for a referral letter to the Behavioural Genetics Clinic . Privately funded assessments or scans are not available. This service is not currently available for children, however our CAMHS Autism and Related Disorders Service may be of interest.

Notes to editors:

• SLaM's Behavioural Genetics Clinic offers a diagnostic service for both the main disorder and co-morbid mental health and behavioural problems. We have identified that up to 50% of people referred to us have previously undiagnosed mental health problems and have responded favourably to our treatment.

• Click here for more information on SLaM's Behavioural Genetics Clinic

• Professor Declan Murphy is a consultant psychiatrist in the Behavioural Disorders Service and the Behavioural Genetics Clinic, as well as Clinical Director of the Behavioural and Developmental Clinical Academic Group at SLaM.

• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provides national services to people across the UK. It also provides mental health and substance misuse services for people living in the London Boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.

• SLaM offers the most expensive portfolio of mental health services in the United Kingdom, supported by internationally recognised training and research. Each year, 5000 people receive hospital treatment, and 32,000 receive outpatient care. SLaM has a clinical and academic partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), part of King's College London.

Click here to watch a video of Dr Ecker receiving the award.