Physical Health United Kingdom Project #6675

Free enquiry service for people with MS in the UK.

by Multiple Sclerosis Trust

Free enquiry service for people with MS in the UK.

Project Report | Aug 7, 2018
Providing reassurance and support

By Rob Carter | Director of Fundraising and Marketing

Thanks to donations from people like you, the MS Trust provides a telephone support service offering one-to-one reassurance and evidence-based information to anyone affected by MS. Our team answers around 260 calls every month, often lasting 30–90 minutes. The majority (over 70%) are from people with MS although our service is also valued by family members of those living with MS and by health professionals who are supporting those with MS.

Sitting behind the telephone service are three professional information officers with backgrounds in science, research and information studies. Together they have over 30 years’ acquired knowledge of multiple sclerosis.

“When people phone the enquiry service they often don’t know if they are coming or going,” says one of our information officers. "They can’t talk to their family because they don’t want to worry them. It is often not possible to talk to health professionals. They don’t know anyone else who actually has MS, and even if they did, their experience of the condition could be different.

“They need someone they can talk to, someone who is knowledgeable about MS, someone they can trust to give them objective information, and that is where the enquiry service fits in. We are the assurance that they are not alone, that other people living with MS have experienced something similar. We take them from a dark place, to one from where they might move forward. If that is not possible, we help them to accept the place where they are.”

Thank you for helping to ensure this vital service can be available when people affected by MS need support and information.

Permalink

May 8, 2018
Helping people make choices

By Jo Sopala | Director of Development

Feb 8, 2018
What friends like you helped us to achieve in 2017

By Jo Sopala | Director of Develpment

Our resources brochure

Dear Friend,

Looking back at what our Enquiry Service achieved for people with MS in 2017

Last year was a very busy year for our Information and Engagement Service as we helped people with MS from all over the UK. Our work is only possible because of the support we receive from our kind friends, including those who donate through GlobalGiving. I thought you would like to know what you helped us to achieve last year.

Our team responded to the 2,720 enquiries received by phone, e-mail and through social media. Those enquiries were answered quickly and to the exacting standards which people with MS deserve. Our on-going anonymous User Survey, asking for feedback about our service, revealed that 87% of those turning to us for information would use our service again, and 90% would recommend us to someone else who has a question about MS. Just some of the feedback we received:

“I was impressed with the swiftness and professionalism of the reply”

“Someone objective and knowledgeable to talk to and who listens”

“I used the information to help make up my own mind on how to proceed with my own MS and to share this decision with my family”

“Information from the enquiry service has the power to enable individuals to question their diagnosis or treatment.”

Turning to our printed information - 44,959 items were ordered. Whilst many people with MS still value and want printed publications, an ever growing number of people are also accessing our information online. Two thirds of all of the traffic to our website last year was from people accessing our current, evidence based information about MS. Those sections had 2,533,773 page views.

In order to maintain our Information Standard accreditation, everything which falls within the scope of the quality standard (our publications, website, DVDs etc) must be reviewed at least every three years. In 2017 several of our publications, and over 100 of the A-Z items on our website were reviewed. One of the books which was totally revised last year was our Disease Modifying Drugs publication. There is obviously great interest in this fast changing arena, and in the month following the publication of the revised version, 1,577 books were posted out. It is the publication which was most requested in 2017 with more than 6,700 copies being sent out.

Our Enquiry Service is dedicated to providing people with MS with the information they need to make the choices which are right for them. That information can make a life changing difference and makes MS lives better. None of our services would possible without the kindness of our supporters. Thank you. You have helped us to achieve a great deal for people with MS and we are truly grateful.

Yours sincerely,

Jo Sopala

Director of Development.

Permalink

‹ 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 15 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.