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Challenge decision-makers on life-changing treatment
10 Dec 2009
A guide to "getting loud" about a potentially life-changing treatment has been produced to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) challenge local decision makers.
The MS Society's campaigning guide Access to FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) was launched at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) conference in a bid to make sure the treatment option is available to everyone who could benefit.
Currently equity of access is poor, meaning a postcode lottery exists where people with MS are having to fight local health authorities to have the equipment provided.
In clinical trials, FES has been shown in some people to mean the difference between being able to walk, or relying on a wheelchair.
Speaking at the conference in Manchester, Laura Weir, Interim Head of Policy and Campaigns at the MS Society, said: "Access to FES can help people with MS to stay independent and in some cases can bring hope to those people who think a wheelchair is the only option.
"This guide gives people the information they need to get loud - to make sure they get what they are entitled to from the NHS and challenge local decision makers."
FES is a technique that uses electrical current to stimulate nerves and move parts of the body. The small and cheap unit can help with dropped foot, a symptom of MS, by stimulating the muscles that lift the foot when walking. This makes walking easier and makes trips or falls less likely.
There are around 100,000 people in the UK with MS and over the course of their condition about 75 per cent will experience mobility problems. Now, there is growing evidence to suggest that FES can benefit many people with MS.
NICE has published guidance on FES, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment, while the NICE clinical guidelines on MS, the National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions and the NHS Constitution also support entitlement to such treatments.
Despite this, many people with MS who are eligible for the treatment face a refusal by their local health authority due to claims of a lack of funds or resources.
Laura added: "If you have been recommended for treatment of dropped foot with FES by a neuro-physiotherapist or other health care professional, you should be able to access FES on the NHS no matter where you live in the UK.
"It is essential that those people who may benefit from FES get access to it quickly as delays may mean a progression in disability, rendering the treatment useless."
Read more about the How to Campaign for Access to FES guide.
Currently equity of access is poor, meaning a postcode lottery exists where people with MS are having to fight local health authorities to have the equipment provided.
In clinical trials, FES has been shown in some people to mean the difference between being able to walk, or relying on a wheelchair.
Speaking at the conference in Manchester, Laura Weir, Interim Head of Policy and Campaigns at the MS Society, said: "Access to FES can help people with MS to stay independent and in some cases can bring hope to those people who think a wheelchair is the only option.
"This guide gives people the information they need to get loud - to make sure they get what they are entitled to from the NHS and challenge local decision makers."
FES is a technique that uses electrical current to stimulate nerves and move parts of the body. The small and cheap unit can help with dropped foot, a symptom of MS, by stimulating the muscles that lift the foot when walking. This makes walking easier and makes trips or falls less likely.
There are around 100,000 people in the UK with MS and over the course of their condition about 75 per cent will experience mobility problems. Now, there is growing evidence to suggest that FES can benefit many people with MS.
NICE has published guidance on FES, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment, while the NICE clinical guidelines on MS, the National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions and the NHS Constitution also support entitlement to such treatments.
Despite this, many people with MS who are eligible for the treatment face a refusal by their local health authority due to claims of a lack of funds or resources.
Laura added: "If you have been recommended for treatment of dropped foot with FES by a neuro-physiotherapist or other health care professional, you should be able to access FES on the NHS no matter where you live in the UK.
"It is essential that those people who may benefit from FES get access to it quickly as delays may mean a progression in disability, rendering the treatment useless."
Read more about the How to Campaign for Access to FES guide.
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