NICE to update MS guidance

With thousands of people across England and Wales living with multiple sclerosis (MS) – an incurable and debilitating condition - the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is updating its guidance to ensure the NHS continues to provide them with the highest levels of care.

MS is a life-long condition of the central nervous system affecting both the brain and spinal cord. Typical early symptoms include loss of sight and dizziness, limb weakness and bladder and bowel problems. The cause of MS remains a mystery and there is currently no cure.  

NICE has opened a consultation on its updated draft recommendations and is inviting views from organisations and groups that have registered an interest in this guideline.

Professor Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said:
“Approximately 100,000 people in the UK have MS with symptoms usually appearing in younger people. MS has the potential to be very highly disabling and people can live with the condition for many years. It can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. They may have to give up work. They may struggle with their mobility. We know that people with MS tend to die earlier than others. This is why it is very important to give people access to the best treatments and specialists who can help them live as normal and as long a life as possible.”

Key draft recommendations for healthcare professionals include:
• Referring people with suspected MS to a consultant neurologist.
• Offering people with MS an appropriate single point of contact to speak about their care, concerns and different treatment options.
• Considering supervised exercise programmes to give relief from fatigue and to increase mobility.
• Not offering omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acid compounds to treat MS because there is no evidence to suggest they help in treatment.

NICE is calling for comments on the draft guideline.