By Stephen Trousse | Senior Communications Officer
> 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
Last year we ran a pilot project called GEMSS (Generating Evidence in MS Services) helping four MS services around the UK measure the impact of their work so they can demonstrate to managers what a vital, cost effective service they deliver.
Because of a lot of this work is about managing data and writing reports it can sometimes feel a little abstract: what practical difference does it make to you if you’re affected by MS?
Well, we’ve recently found out that our work has been instrumental in keeping Miriam Forster, an MS nurse in Northumberland, in a permanent post. This means that people with MS in the region will continue to have access to high quality, expert MS care.
Northumbria NHS Trust covers one of the largest areas in the country. Because of the distances many people with MS aren’t easily able to access clinics. In the last year Miriam and her colleague Jane Metcalfe travelled over 18,000 miles, making sure that everyone with MS, no matter where they live, was able to receive expert advice and support in managing their condition.
However Miriam’s post was not permanent and was due to come to an end this year. With only one MS nurse covering such a vast area the service would inevitably deteriorate. Ultimately, with much more limited access to specialist support, advice and information, the wellbeing of people with MS could suffer.
But thanks to Jane and Miriam’s participation in GEMSS, and the evidence they were able to produce, we are delighted to report that Northumbria NHS Trust has now made Miriam’s post permanent. This is a great result for people with MS in Northumberland, but also for everyone affected by MS in the UK.
We’d like to thank you for supporting our work protecting MS services. We’re delighted to see it already making a real-life difference to people with MS. This year our GEMSS programme enters a new phase, with ten new teams of MS nurses and therapists. We look forward to helping them deliver even better services for everyone affected by MS.
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