SHE is well known for her roles in television costume drama in a celebrated acting career spanning 30 years.

But lesser known is that Joanna David “owes her life” to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square. 

Best known as the heroine of a BBC adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and more recently the Duchess of Yeovil in Downton Abbey, Ms David is trustee of The National Brain Appeal charity, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this week.

Ms David, 68, endured searing pains in the back of her head while living in Bloomsbury in the late 1980s. Fearing a brain tumour, she had MRI scans which found a rare and potentially fatal condition in which the brain becomes too large for the skull and a blockage forms between the brain “stem” and the spine.

In June 1993 she had a three-hour operation at the Queen Square hospital to correct the “congenital abnormality”. 

She said: “I owe my life to the wonderful team at The National Hospital. Facing brain surgery has to be one of the most terrifying experiences and it was hugely reassuring to know I was in such good hands. 

Joanna David in Downton Abbey

“It is absolutely staggering to think that over 10 million people in the UK have a neurological condition. With both my personal experience and the knowledge that this is an area of desperate need, I felt compelled to support The National Brain Appeal to do my bit to help ensure that the hospital has all the support it needs for patients, now and in the future. It really is a remarkable charity.” 

The National Brain Appeal was formed on August 29, 1984 and has since raised more than £40million for the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. 

The hospital treats people with diseases of the brain, spine and the nervous system, such as brain tumours, epilepsy, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease.

The number of patients seen by the hospital has risen from 2,310 in 1984 to more than 9,000. The charity is aiming to raise £3m to go towards creating a spinal operating theatre and to upgrade its current operating theatres to deal with the higher patient numbers. 

The charity also funds the Dementia Research Centre, which identified the first Alzheimer’s gene. 

Brain Appeal bosses say the charity’s major achievements include opening a new neuroimaging analysis centre for Parkinson’s, dementia, epilepsy, stroke and brain tumour patients. An advanced neuroimaging suite, set up in 2008 with £6m Brain Appeal funding, has, it is claimed, led to significant “developments” in epilepsy and brain tumour treatment. 

National Brain Appeal chief executive Theresa Dauncey said: “We’ve proven it is possible to change things and make an impact even if you are a small charity. The clinicians have the vision for how they can advance treatment for their patients. We help get projects off the ground and often, once the impact is proven and gets results this attracts additional funding from elsewhere.”

Professor John Duncan, clincial director at the Neurology and Neurosurgery hospital, added: “The National is going from strength to strength with major advances in treatments for our patients. The National Brain Appeal has been core to making this happen.”

• To find out more visit www.nationalbrainappeal.org