MS Trust-funded nurses reduce waiting times for people with MS


27 March 2019

Back in 2017, we started the pilot programme for our pioneering Specialist Nurse Programme, which funds new MS specialist nurses in the areas across the UK that need them most.

With the help of our amazing supporters we were able to fund additional MS nurses in Leicester, Bradford and Lanarkshire. The programme enabled us to provide each site with 15 months of funding towards the cost of the new nurse, along with ongoing support and mentorship. After 15 months, the NHS takes over funding for the posts, but we continue to support the MS nurses in their training and development, as we do for every single MS nurse in the UK.

All of our pilot sites have now completed the programme. We are thrilled to report that as a result of the additional nurses, there has been a whole range of measurable benefits brought to people with MS in those areas.

For example. . . 

  • The Leicester team has reduced the waiting time for an MS appointment from seven months to between one to four weeks. 
  • Before the programme, it was taking up to five days for the Bradford team to respond to calls and emails, between March 18 and Feb 19, 96% of calls and emails were returned by the end of the next working day. 

Knowing you can contact your MS Nurse whenever you need to makes such a difference and to reduce the waiting time by so much is a fantastic achievement. We are so proud of the work that all the Specialist Nurse Programme teams have done and the difference they are making for people living with MS.

Megan Roberts, Health Professionals Programme Manager at the MS Trust

We know that the programme’s legacy will continue at Leicester, Bradford and Lanarkshire beyond the funding period, with the teams fully committed to evolving the service further and delivering the best possible care and support for people living with MS today.

This is just the start. The next round of the programme has seen us fund new MS nurses in Lothian, South Tees, Hull and North Lincolnshire and Goole, and Coventry, and we will continue to bring more nurses to areas across the UK throughout 2019, working towards our goal of ensuring nobody has to manage MS alone.