The multiple sclerosis (MS) multidisciplinary team offers a wide range of expert specialist advice regarding MS management. Specialist clinics and services include a one-stop diagnostic clinic, rapid access relapse management service, disease modifying therapies, current research projects, symptom management, rehabilitation, complex symptom management and end-of-life care. We have a team of specialist nurses who provide support and run both conventional outpatient clinics and telephone clinics.
Our MS team is aware that people want access to timely assessment, expertise and advice and that people’s needs may vary according to the stage of their condition. In order to meet needs we have set up a number of clinics that aim to make sure that our patients see the right person in the right place at the right time.
In addition to running specialist clinics, the MS services link to a major research programme that looks at new treatments, better ways of managing MS and improving our understanding of the condition. We maintain close links with the Neurorehabilitation Unit and to the Institute of Neurology which is active in MS research.
- Demyelination Diagnostic Clinic (DDC) - for people who are suspected of having MS
- Relapse clinic - designed to discuss any new symptoms or old symptoms
- Disease modifying drug assessment clinics - weekly assessment clinics for patients taking particular treatments
- Assessment, support and education clinic - weekly clinic provides an opportunity for people with MS to discuss concerns about living with MS
- Vocational rehabilitation clinic - to support people with MS in their working or student roles
- MS multidisciplinary clinic – MS symptoms can cause a number of health problems and this may make it difficult to manage them independently, so this clinic is designed to look at the different problems and provide different outcomes
- Complex needs clinic - our team links up with colleagues in the palliative care team to provide a complex needs clinic to help address symptoms that have become harder to manage and which may cause increasing disability and loss of independence.
- Telephone review and assessment clinic lead by a Nurse Consultant who conducts assessment of symptoms by telephone to complement face to face Neurology appointments
- Specialist nurse telephone advice line for assessment and triage of patient reported problems between planned clinic visits.
We see over 200 patients with MS each week and this is across all our clinics and services. Our average waiting time is around four weeks, but if there are urgent issues, patients will be able to discuss them within a matter of hours through our helpline and can be seen within 24 hours if clinically indicated. On a Tuesday alone, we see approximately 50 patients.