Outstanding feedback for SMA Education Day 2025

These are just a couple of the many glowing responses to the SMA Education Day held in May 2025 – an event which has once again demonstrated the power of bringing multidisciplinary voices together to address the complex challenges in managing spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Held at Halifax Hall, Sheffield, this year’s course titled 'SMA Education Day 2025: addressing the emerging challenges in comprehensive SMA care' achieved an exceptional overall average score of 4.7 out of 5, with participants praising the educational quality, clinical relevance, and impact on professional development.

Strong impact and high recommendation

• 96% of attendees said they would be ‘likely’ or ‘highly likely’ to recommend the course to a colleague.
• 92–96% rated key areas including educational relevance, course quality, and professional development impact as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
• 84% said the course would influence them to modify their clinical practice.

Highlights from the day

Introduction & scene-setting
Dr Min Ong and Dr Vasantha Gowda offered a warm and insightful welcome, setting the tone for the day with a clear overview of the sessions and topics. Delegates appreciated the inclusive atmosphere and the emphasis on collaborative learning across specialties.

Clinical and ethical challenges
Standout sessions included:

• Dr Jane Heraghty’s compelling talk on respiratory management, described as “super informative” and “practically focused”.
• Dr Ella Aidoo’s session on palliative care, which received a perfect 5.0 score for delivery and was praised for its clarity, empathy, and relevance to both paediatric and adult services.
• Dr Anton Mayer’s presentation on HDU/PICU communication, offering invaluable tips for handling difficult conversations, was described as “very inspiring” and “brilliant”.

Ethics and emotional insight
Dr Joe Brierley’s talk on medical ethics resonated deeply with attendees, with one participant stating: “We need more talks like this as trainee doctors to better equip us for our role as consultants.”

The patient voice
Perhaps the most celebrated part of the day was hearing directly from people living with SMA and their families. Delegates called this the “best session of the day”, with many noting how valuable it was to hear real-life experiences and reflect on the barriers families face.

Bringing it all together
The final session 'Your questions answered / where we go from here' closed the day with full marks from attendees, reinforcing the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and continued improvement in SMA care.

Looking ahead

The success of this year’s SMA Education Day underlines the importance of continued investment in education and collaboration. With SMA care evolving rapidly in the era of disease-modifying therapies, sessions like these ensure that clinicians are well-equipped to provide responsive, ethical and compassionate care.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year's event – from faculty to patient families – for helping create such a meaningful and impactful learning experience.

We look forward to continuing to work together to build on this success and shape future SMA education.

This activity has been financially supported by sponsorship from Biogen Idec Limited. The sponsor has had no control over the educational content or organisation of this activity.