A collaboration to appoint a new Advanced MS Champion (AMSC) sees Sarah Watson arrive to provide much needed support for people affected by advanced multiple sclerosis across Leeds.
The AMSC role was created as part of the MS Trust Advanced MS Champion Programme, which places MS specialists in areas of greatest need. When people reach a more advanced stage of MS, they may no longer qualify for disease modifying drugs, leading to a potential disconnect with their MS service. This leaves them reliant on family and friends for their care. An AMSC’s role is to reconnect with those living with advanced MS, whilst addressing and co-ordinating their complex care needs.
The initial Advanced MS Champion pilot scheme ran across six hospital sites and returned impactful results:
- The AMSC role saved on average 52 hospital admissions per site, per year, saving each NHS site £465,376 annually.
- The pilot also reported saving an average of 403 emergency bed days per site, 91 appointments for MS Specialist Nurses and 115 GP appointments.
- Establishing an AMSC within an NHS Trust’s MS team helped to free up capacity and provide more care to people with MS in the community.
- Full details can be found here Advanced MS Champion pilot results
Sarah Watson brings a wealth of experience to the role. She is a Neuro Physio and has worked with the Leeds MS team for many years. She has also been trained by the MS Trust Foundation Module. Sarah is looking forward to making an impact on people living with advanced MS in Leeds, she said of the opportunity:
I’m really excited to have started working in the Advanced MS Champion role. I’m getting to know patients and their families or carers, and hopefully improving their quality of life. Being able to see people at home will make a big difference to the support that the MS service in Leeds can offer.