TiMS newsletter issue 1


Welcome

Welcome to the first TiMS newsletter! The TiMS working group consists of 25 AHPs from around the country who meet four times a year. Our aim is to improve services for people with MS by providing AHPs with the skills, knowledge and support they need to deliver an effective service. We think that it is important to keep you up-to-date with the work we are doing. This newsletter will tell you about the things discussed at the last meeting and update you on our latest projects. Please also feel free to contact us if you have ideas on how TiMS can work more effectively for you.

Pam Bostock and Wendy Hendrie (Co-chairs of TiMS)

Research

The TiMS website has a dedicated research area which has recently been updated. The aim of this section is to provide helpful information and links to useful research-related tools, schemes and organisations. You can also find the latest research update from the MS Trust as well as a number of studies that TiMS have carried out.

Education

The MS Trust has recently announced that there will be a day especially for therapists at their conference in November. Hopefully this will encourage more therapists to attend the conference. We will keep you updated with speakers and presentation topics as soon as they are arranged. A dedicated AHP bursary scheme is available on application.

Service development

Work progressing on annual review form for people with MS

The new NICE Guidelines for MS (October 2014) recommended that every person with MS should have a comprehensive annual review by health professionals with expertise in MS. TiMS is currently developing a form which can be used by people with MS to ensure that this is carried out.

Competency framework for AHPs working with neuro long term conditions

The competency framework for long-term, neurological conditions is an exciting project which aims to provide AHPs with a checklist of the skills and knowledge they need, at all stages of their careers.

Other news

NICE quality standards for MS published

The NICE Quality Standards for MS were published in January 2016. TiMS ensured that the standards included supporting people with MS to remain active.

RIMS fellowship

RIMS is offering clinical fellowships worth 1,000 Euros to AHPs who want to visit centres around Europe which offer MS services. Please go to the RIMS website for more information.

Working group meeting minutes

In February the working group held their first quarterly meeting of the year, please contact therapistsinms@mstrust.org.uk if you would like a copy of the minutes from this meeting.

New course

Diagnosis and management of common neurological disorders in primary care one day course - 13 May 2016

The University of Birmingham are running a one day course which aims to provide an evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of common neurological problems.

Ask TiMS

If you have a problem concerning any aspect of MS management or service provision, please contact therapists@mstrust.org.uk, you will receive a reply within 2 weeks.

Each quarter we will publish one question which has been sent to the TiMS working group:

Question

I am a Band 5 physiotherapist and have just begun my neurology rotation. I have joined TiMS in the hope that I can learn more about managing people with MS. Can you tell me where I can find a list of outcome measures that have been validated for use in people with MS?

Answer

You will find outcome measures in the resource section on the TiMS homepage. There you will find a link to three useful websites: The MS Task Force, Rehabilitation Measures Database and the COMET. All have outcomes which have been validated in MS. It may also be worth talking to your colleagues to find out what they use and try and agree on a set of outcomes that you use as a group so that data from a number of cases can be pooled easily when carrying out audits, for example.

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