By Laura Percival | Fundraising Officer
This year the MS Trust is marking its 21st anniversary and as part of our 21 Stories project we asked Karen Vernon, MS Nurse Consultant in Salford and one of the early MS specialist nurses, to reflect back on some of the big developments for people with MS over the past 21 years.
In my mind, without doubt the biggest achievement over the past 21 years has been the development of specialist practitioners in MS, whether this is a neurologist, nurse or an allied healthcare professional. This has enabled the safe delivery of the disease modifying treatments to some patients, but ultimately more patients with MS have had expert care independently of whether they are on drugs or not, often from a multidisciplinary perspective. This has also acted as a catalyst for specialist networks which enables sharing of best practice, again enhancing care for all.
The support from the voluntary sector has been crucial in this. The involvement of the MS Trust in providing specialist education for practitioners has been invaluable. Very few specialist nurses in any field have the ability to undertake a development module such as the one the MS Trust runs, which enables them to have a foundation for practice. The MS Trust continuing support to specialist practitioners cannot be underestimated.
I think the biggest challenge for the next 21 years will be in maintaining and further developing services to reflect changing needs, both of people with MS and also the varying demands of the different drugs coming to license. The demands on the health service cannot be underestimated and it is essential that we do not allow MS services to become all about the drugs, and that we offer an equitable service to all people with MS.
I also think a major challenge will be the loss of a significant percentage of specialised practitioners' expertise through retirement. Succession planning is crucial in all aspects of the service and, again, the involvement of the voluntary sector in education is paramount, in order for services to continue to deliver high standards of care. How this is developed will again need to reflect changing needs within the healthcare community.
Karen Vernon, MS Nurse Consultant
The MS Trust works tirelessley to support the MS nurse workforce in the UK and with the help of donors like you, we will continue to do so, to ensure everyone with MS has access to the services they need. Thank you for your support.
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