MS Society calls for Quality Standard for MS

The MS Society has today called for the urgent development of a Quality Standard for MS to set a benchmark to address the inconsistencies in care received by people with MS.

In a consultation response submitted to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today, the MS Society called for a Quality Standard to be developed alongside the revised clinical guideline for MS, and highlighted some key aspects of MS care that need to be addressed.

Laura Weir, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the MS Society, said “A Quality Standard is a vital tool to establish a universal standard of care for people with MS and improve access to treatment and care for the 83,000 people with MS in England.”

The Quality Standard would apply to NHS England and would provide a similar guide to the Clinical Standards for Neurology that already exist in Scotland. A Quality Standard is made up of 10-15 statements each setting a benchmark for key areas of care. These standards are to help all healthcare professionals improve the standard of care they provide as well as the people who decide what services to provide.

In its consultation response, the MS Society has suggested 14 statements covering key aspects of MS care including:

• prompt diagnosis
• access to MS specialists including neurologists, MS nurses and physiotherapists
• access to treatments and equipment
• choice and control over respite care and end of life care

The National Quality Board, a group of individuals representing key organisations within the NHS, who decide which Quality Standards to develop and support NICE in producing them, will now review the responses and confirm the list of all Quality Standards to be developed. If a Quality Standard for MS is approved there is likely to be further consultation on the draft.

 Follow the policy and campaigns blog to find out what's decided, what will happen next and what you can do to support our work.