Specialist nurses for people with MS in the UK

As you know well by now, our MS specialist nurses work tirelessly to ensure that people with MS receive the personal, expert care and support they need. Over 3,600 people with MS in the UK are cared for by our funded MS nurses. Our nurses offer direct support, clinical advice, and the ability to connect MS patients to other services, such as a doctor or a therapist.

We have placed MS specialist nurses in Lothian, South Tees, North Lincolnshire & Goole, Coventry, Bradford, Lanarkshire, and Leicester. These nurses have achieved significant results that help to demonstrate the undeniable, positive difference MS nurses are making for people living with MS in the UK. These include;

• Our MS specialist nurses now conduct joint visits with social care professionals to bring specialist MS expertise to the care of vulnerable adults

• MS nursing teams are seeing more patients for longer and are more easily contactable

• They are able to review patients more holistically and conduct interventions that might help reduce hospital admissions

• Each MS nurse saves the NHS over £77,000 each year

Our MS nurses provide their specialist care free of charge and we receive no Government funding to run it. Your kindness and generosity is ensuring that specialist care is available to them today and in the future.

In addition to placing new nurses, we survey MS speciailist nurses throughout the country to build a better picture of the current level of provision and the areas of greatest need. You can read our latest report here: https://mstrust.org.uk/health-professionals/resources/service-development/ms-nurse-mapping

I wanted to share some key statistics based on our research into MS nurses though:

• The total number of people with MS on MS specialist nurse caseloads across the UK is estimated to be 140,633 using self-reported caseloads. This is higher than Public Health England (2020) estimates.
• Despite increases in the number of MS specialist nurses, caseloads across the UK have significantly increased from previous surveys. The mean caseload is 472 people with MS per WTE
• Most people in the UK live in areas where caseloads are unsustainable with 79% of people with MS living in areas where MS specialist nurses have caseloads in excess of 315.
• For every MS nurse in the UK to have a sustainable caseload we would need a 50% increase in the current MS nurse workforce, equivalent to an extra 149 WTE MS specialist nurses.

On behalf of our staff, volunteers, and service users, thank you for your amazing support. With your help, our team is working hard to further increase the numbers of MS specialist nurses in ithe areas of greatest need.

With thanks and very best wishes

Lucy Taylor

Director of Fundraising & Marketing

• MS Specialist Mapping Report (PDF)