MS services

The MS Trust has launched a programme to pioneer a new role in MS services: Advanced MS Champions. But what difference will these champions make to people living with advanced MS?

This year the MS Trust has been working with city philanthropists The October Club to raise money to pioneer a new role in MS teams: Advanced MS Champions. But how will our new Champions make a difference? We spoke to Lyn, who was diagnosed with MS over 20 years ago. 

Last year Verity Duff from North Northamptonshire came on our foundation course for new MS nurses. We caught up with her to find out about her first year as an MS nurse, and the difference our support has made to her work 

The MS Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust are working together to make a difference for local people living with MS with the recruitment of the first new nurse placements in the MS Trust’s Specialist Nurse Funding Programme. We went to Leicester to speak to Allison, one of the existing MS nurses, and Jon, who has been living with MS for almost ten years, about the difference the new nurses will make. 

For 20 years the MS Trust has provided free, evidence-based information for anyone affected by MS – via our enquiry service, our printed publications, and, increasingly, our online and social media resources. We hope to help people understand more about their condition, consider their options and work effectively with their MS teams. Here we introduce some of the members of our award-winning team and some of the people they’ve helped

Being diagnosed with MS is the beginning of a long, unpredicatable journey. In Denmark, people are offered a two-week residential course on adjusting to their new life with MS. Tim Wardman went on one and reports back on what he learned.

Pia Reynolds, advisory group lay member for the MS Trust’s project MS Forward View, explains what it’s like to represent people with MS in this innovative project.

MS Forward View is our project working with NHS experts, MS teams and people living with MS to shape fairer specialist services.Daisy Doncaster, the project co-ordinator, explains how we exactly we intend to make a difference, particularly for people with progressive MS

Should the task of improving MS services be solely the responsibility of the NHS? Amy Bowen, Director of Service Development at the MS Trust, explains why we believe it’s vital for the MS Trust to work in co-operation with MS teams to ensure people living with MS receive the best possible care

The publication of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on services for people with neurological conditions throws down the gauntlet to the Department of Health and NHS England. 

Sometimes, as a person with MS, it can feel as though your voice isn’t being heard. This is why I was so keen to become a lay member of the MS Trust’s MS Forward View project advisory group. Any opportunity to share my opinions about and experiences of MS services, I grab, because so much of the time my opinion doesn’t seem to matter.

2015 has been another busy year for the MS Trust.  Highlights include:

• MS Decisions launched
• Information about secondary progressive MS
• Evidence for MS specialist services published
• Launch of the new look MS Trust website
• NICE quality standard for MS
• Supporting health professionals
• Your support for us

NICE is developing the new quality standard for MS which identifies priority areas for improving NHS MS services. Amanda Croft, the MS Trust Policy Officer, explains why we have some concerns and what we're doing about it

The publication of the National Neurology Intelligence Network’s first ever figures on neurological outpatient appointments in England brings both good and bad news. The report is the latest to show that access to neurology services and specialists varies significantly across the country.

Geraldine Mynors reports on progress in our campaign to make sure everyone affected by MS can access the best possible specialist case

Here are five reasons why we need MS specialists at the heart of MS care.

New care standards have been unveiled by the Welsh Government, to improve standards of care throughout the NHS. They’ve gained more urgency after care scandals were reported at the Princess of Wales hospital in Bridgend and Glan Clywd hospital in Rhyl. The new, improved standards of care are collated into a Health Standards Framework, which is based around 7 quality themes.

Earlier this year the MS Trust carried out new research into the effects of information on people’s experience of MS diagnosis. We surveyed 500 people living with MS and asked them whether they had been given information when they were diagnosed, and how this had affected their adjustment to living with MS.

• Our GEMSS programme helps safeguard the role of an MS nurse at Northumbria NHS Trust
• The programme enters its second phase with ten new teams from around the UK