NICE Key Recommendations

Specialised services

Specialist neurological and neurological rehabilitation services should be available to every person with MS when they need them, usually when they develop any new symptom, sign, limitation on activities or other problem, or when their circumstances change.

Rapid diagnosis

An individual who is suspected of having MS should be referred to a specialist neurology service and seen rapidly within an audited time. The individual should be seen again after all investigations necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis have been completed (also rapidly within an audited time).

Seamless services

Every health commissioning organisation should ensure that all organisations in a local health area agree and publish protocols for sharing and transferring responsibility for and information about people with MS, so as to make the service seamless from the individual’s perspective.

A responsive service

All services and service personnel within the health care sector should recognise and respond to the varying and unique needs and expectations of each person with MS. The person with MS should be involved actively in all decisions and actions.

Sensitive but thorough problem assessment

Health service professionals in regular contact with people with MS should consider in a systematic way whether the person with MS has a ‘hidden’ problem contributing to their clinical situation, such as fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment, impaired sexual function or reduced bladder control.

Amended April 2008