The charity contributed to the event's education programme, which was aimed at professionals working with children who suffer from mitochondrial diseases. Delegates included paediatricians, nurses, therapists, geneticists, and trainees in the medical and care professions.
The Lily Foundation worked closely with the team of mitochondrial disease specialists at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, part of the NHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, to provide funding and information resources for the day.
Alison Maguire, Head of Research & Finance at The Lily Foundation, gave a talk to introduce delegates to the many services the charity provides for families affected by mitochondrial disease.
"This was another great example of how a small charity like Lily can work alongside the NHS to help improve the services available to patients," said Alison afterwards. "It was fantastic to see so many professionals willing to give up their time to learn about mitochondrial disease, as ultimately this increased knowledge will improve patient care and help them diagnose new cases much more quickly."
Other speakers at the event included leading mitochondrial disease experts Professor Jo Poulton, Dr Victoria Nesbitt, Dr Carl Fratter and Dr Kate Sergeant. Topics included the clinical spectrum of mitochondrial diseases in children, screening and diagnosis, laboratory techniques, supportive therapies and family support.