Health and wellness could revolutionise management of long term neurological conditions
The latest emphasis in health and fitness circles has been on measuring, not our lifespans, but our ‘healthspans’. A societal effort to do the same might well present a possible solution to our growing healthcare challenges, and could revolutionise the way we manage neurological conditions. The latest edition of the British Journal for Neuroscience Nursing […]
NHS RightCare progressive neurological conditions toolkit launches
A new toolkit has just been published to help healthcare systems better understand the priorities in care for people living with various progressive neurological conditions. Currently, those living with progressive neurological conditions are experiencing: delays in diagnosis and treatment, fragmented and uncoordinated services, limited availability of neurospecialist rehab and reablement and a lack of psycho–social […]
NHSE elective care handbooks now available
This summer, NHS England has published a series of handbooks setting out best practice and ‘how-to’ solutions for each of the 14 high-volume elective care specialties that RightCare have identified as their focus. The NHS RightCare programme, which works locally with systems to present a diagnosis of data and evidence across that population, believes that […]
Ocrelizumab now available for those with primary progressive MS
Ocrelizumab, the first disease-modifying treatment (DMT) to be proven in slowing down the progression of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), has finally been signed off for use at a clinical level. The DMT has been licensed for relapsing-remitting (RR) MS for almost a year, but despite being the first drug to show efficacy in the […]
Brain Awareness Week 2019: multiple sclerosis
Brain Awareness Week (BAW) coordinated by the Dana Foundation, is an opportunity for partners around the globe to share their research and educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the brain and the promise of brain research. The Neurology Academy, as neurological educators, are keen to cover as broad a picture of a condition as possible, from physiological […]
Consensus guidelines reached regarding pregnancy and MS
A set of guidelines on multiple sclerosis (MS) and pregnancy have been produced for the UK, supported by the Association of British Neurologists. The first of their kind, the guidance covers all elements of care related to pregnancy for those living with MS, from pre-pregnancy support to management of medication during pregnancy, birth-related guidance and […]
Understanding admissions in Multiple Sclerosis
By Sue Thomas For the last 4 years we have analysed hospital statistics from NHS Digital to understand the numbers of people with MS who accessing hospital in an emergency. This data provides us with some understanding of how we can work with people who have MS and the health care professionals supporting them to […]
Cannabis based products in multiple sclerosis
On the 1 November 2018, it became legal for doctors to prescribe cannabis based drugs, which occurred with widespread media coverage. But, there are limitations to this ruling, which have not been fully explained to the public, and many neurology departments are receiving queries from patients who are requesting prescriptions for cannabis based drugs from […]
Rare but serious risks of stroke and blood vessel wall tears highlighted in use of Lemtrada
In recent days the FDA have issued a safety announcement about Lemtrada (alemtuzemab). Rare but serious cases of stroke and blood vessel wall tears in the vessels of the head and neck have occurred in patients with MS shortly after they commenced treatment with Lemtrada. Problems such as these can lead to permanent disability or […]
MS community fight for new drug to treat primary-progressive MS
New disease-modifying drug Ocrelizumab could be the treatment that many people with primary-progressive MS have been waiting for, but despite positive clinical outcomes, it has yet to be licensed here in the UK. Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes inflammation of the nerve cells in the brain and spine, and disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are a form of […]