Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the provision of at least one dedicated MS nurse in each London borough.

The vast majority of services for people with the multiple sclerosis (MS) are planned and commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities and recruitment and retention of National Health Service staff is a local matter. To support local commissioners plan and deliver services for people with MS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published clinical guidance.

The guidance sets out that people with MS are cared for with a coordinated multidisciplinary approach. This should involve professionals who can best meet the needs of the person with MS and who have expertise in managing MS including, including MS nurses. The guidance can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg186/resources/multiple-sclerosis-in-adults-management-pdf-35109816059077

NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised neurological services, including some services for patients with MS. NHS England has published a service specification for neurological care that includes an exemplar service specification for neuromuscular conditions that sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. This includes the provision of care from a multidisciplinary team which includes specialist nurses. The service specification for neurological care can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/d04-neurosci-spec-neuro.pdf