Support for people living with MS

There are 1200 people living with multiple sclerosis in Lanarkshire – and the health board have recruited more staff to help support them.

A pair of specialist nurses and a part-time neurology nurse will begin work later this month.

They were recruited with the assistance of the MS Trust, a charity which works to make sure that people with multiple sclerosis get the best possible care.

As part of their nationwide Specialist Nurse Programme, the charity will be part-funding one of the nurses for 15 months and supporting the whole team to help make a difference for people affected by MS in Lanarkshire.

Maria Docherty, nurse director of South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said:“we are delighted to welcome the new nurses. Thanks to funding and support from the MS Trust, we were able to appoint two new nurses when previously we had one.

“NHS Lanarkshire will continue to fund the additional nurse on a permanent basis after the first 15 months. This will mean we will be able to deliver an improved service for local people affected by MS.”

The specialist nurses are vital for people living with MS. They can help them adjust to diagnosis, consider complicated treatment options, manage a wide range of symptoms and learn to live well with an unpredictable, often debilitating, condition. The part-time neurology specialist nurse will work across the MS and Parkinson’s services.