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MS nursing: support for 'at risk' jobs

The following are articles and actions to help nurses whose posts are at risk.

Network with other MS specialist nurses and contact us if more help and support is required.

A more detailed version of this document is available on request that contains full references and supporting evidence.

Recent reports

The RCP/MS Trust Audit of MS services in England provides ammunition about the way the NSF for long-term conditions and the NICE Guidelines are being erratically and fragmentarily implemented. Can be cited as evidence that NHS Trusts who fail to provide MS specialists are failing in their duty under these national policies.

The MS Trust is working with the MS Society and Dr Fosters to gather evidence about the difference that MS specialist nurses have made to emergency and unplanned hospital admissions for patients in their care.

Published evidence

  • Johnson J.
    Evaluation of MS specialists nurses: a review and development of the role.
    London & Letchworth : South Bank University & MS Trust; 2001.

    • Key messages:

    • A total saving to the Trust of £64,000 remained even after employment costs of the MS Specialist nurse. This was based on a comparison of the total costs in the year prior to the MS specialist nurse coming into post, with her first year in the job.
    • Reduction in the rate of emergency rather than elective hospital admissions, and a statistically significant reduction in length of hospital stay of approximately 50% of time.
    • Elective hospital admissions more appropriately directed to specialist neurology, rehabilitation Young Disabled Unit wards. In the research period, costs for emergency admissions were approximately £255.61 per day versus £179.77 per day for elective admissions in the financial year 1999-2000.
    • A simple calculation of reduced cost, as indicated by a comparison of bed occupancy between the two years amounted to £104,000.
    • Download the full report of this research
  • Campion K.
    Meeting multiple needs.
    Nursing Times 1996; 92(4):28-30.

    • Key messages:

    • Audit of six months pre and post MS specialist nurse coming into post found a reduction in the number of in-patient days of 65%.
    • No hospital readmissions of patients in 6 months following MS specialist nurse coming into post.

These two pieces of research argue that MS specialist nurses can:

  • Be cost effective and provide financial savings for the NHS Trust
  • Help meet the Public Sector Agreement target of reduction of inpatient emergency bed days by 5% by 2008 (Supporting people with long-term conditions)
  • Help meet the target to offer everyone with a long-term condition a care plan by 2010 (Our Health, our care our say; paragraph 5.27)
  • Forbes A and While A.
    The MS Society's Nurse Fund Programme; an evaluation.
    London: King's College London 2002

    • You may want to use this research with care as some of its findings were equivocal about the value of MS specialist nurses.

    Key messages:

    MS specialist nurses

    • Improve standards of healthcare
    • Improve access to and understanding of information
    • Promote general health eg by significantly reducing the number of pressure sores

This research suggests MS nurses:

  • Meet the information requirements of the National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions and Our health, our care, our say (ch 8, paragraphs 8.2-8.8).
  • Help meet the target to offer everyone with a long-term condition a care plan by 2010 (Our Health, our care our say; paragraph 5.27).
  • Provide case management, patient education and support as outlined in Supporting people with long-term conditions.

Other actions

  • Useful support can also be garnered from any local audit of the MS nursing service. If you have time, section one of the Learning Needs Analysis tool provides a useful framework for auditing your activities. This tool is available from the MS Trust.
  • Consider enlisting the support of the RCN and of your patients. The MS Trust ran a blog on our website inviting people with MS to register their support. The MS has devised a model letter for people with MS to support their MS nurses if needed.
  • Contact the MS Trust if you would like the full version of this document, or if you need specific help and guidance to justify your position (email the MS Trust or ring 01462 476700).