Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological condition in young adults in the UK, affecting around 100,000 people. According to new guidance from NICE, people with MS should be offered a rapid and accurate diagnosis of their condition and access to specialist advice and proven therapies.
An audit carried out by the Royal College of Physicians and the MS Trust in 2011 found that although some MS patients received excellent care from the NHS, this was not universal and there were variations in both the quality and the quantity of care provided in England and Wales. Currently, many people with MS are diagnosed in an ad hocway and are often misdiagnosed. People with MS can be left for more than a year without having their condition and medication monitored.
In an update to its original 2003 guideline, NICE has set out how people with MS can receive better care. Dr Paul Cooper, consultant neurologist at the Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, who chaired the NICE guideline group, said: “The care someone receives should not depend on where they live. One of the central areas that we have tried to address in the guidance is identifying and recognising inequalities in services and in care throughout the NHS.”
In the update, NICE recommends that people with suspected MS should be referred to a consultant neurologist. MS should not be diagnosed on the basis of MRI findings alone and only a consultant neurologist should make the diagnosis of MS. It also states that every person with MS should have a comprehensive review of all aspects of their care at least once a year and that multidisciplinary teams – made up of MS nurses, GPs, psychologists, and therapists.
Other key recommendations include offering people with MS an appropriate single point of contact to speak about their care, concerns and different treatment options, and encouraging people with MS to exercise. Supervised exercise programmes should be available for those who struggle with mobility and fatigue.
