Transform MS Impact - Case Studies
Transform MS is proud to be at the heart of many initiatives designed to improve services and, therefore, outcomes for people with MS. We work on projects locally, nationally and globally and contribute resources as part of our CICs ambitions. Below are some of the projects where you will find people from Transform MS involved…….
South West Multiple Sclerosis Network
The South West Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Network is a collaborative project focussed on the support the MS community in Devon and Cornwall.
The Transform MS team is proud to have been at the forefront of this exciting initiative from the start and the progress it has made.
Launched at a stakeholder event hosted at the South West Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) and attended by over 60 members of the MS community the Network has 3 key ambitions at its start:
Reduce variation so that people with MS in the region get consistent care and opportunities for treatment/research regardless of where they live
Improve resilience of the services by sharing expertise, best practice and where practical resources
Working differently, collaboratively and innovatively to future proof and enhance MS services to improve outcomes for people with MS and the wider MS community
The meeting prioritised six work streams that will deliver projects supporting the above ambitions. These include projects focussed on technology, sharing expertise in clinical decision making, improving non-clinical support for people with MS and initiatives supporting the MS workforce. and its interactions with other health and care teams.
The Transform MS team has been heavily involved in the Network from supporting the development of the initial concept to securing support of the South West AHSN to host the project, from securing funding for its activities to actively contributing to the projects dynamic set of workstreams. Sian McKay, South West MS Network Project Manager highlighted the impact of Transform MS in the Network.
“Without the support of Transform MS the Network would never have got off the ground. Whilst the initial funding and partnership development with the AHSN were critical from the start the group now contributes to all six of our work streams”
For further information on the network either visit the website or sign up for the newsletter
Transforming MS For All
Members of our team have been at the heart of a new and exciting initiative to tackle current challenges faced by Multiple Sclerosis services across the UK – "Transforming MS for All". With a dynamic plan to instigate numerous projects to improve service design, enhance MS healthcare professional team developments and increase the use of data to advance MS care. Here at Transform MS, we are delighted to be in a position to help and have agreed to formally host the transformation programme.
Initially conceived through Raising the Bar initiatives organised by the Professor Giovannoni. Professor Hobart, Dr David Rog and Joela Mathews, supported by other members of the Transform MS team, led a National MS Service Audit which involved collecting data from virtually every MS Centre through a combination of questionnaires and interviews. The data was then analysed and reviewed with the findings presented at the Raising the Bar meeting in November 2020. The conclusions have led to a series of recommendations to help instigate the changes that could facilitate improvements in MS services. From this Transforming MS for All was born and the project has developed a national profile, capturing support from NHS MS healthcare professionals, MS patient groups, key NHS commissioners and commercial partners – there is a momentum to bring about genuinely transformational change for MS teams and people living with MS.
A formal document outlining the nature of the collaboration between Transform MS CIC and Transforming MS 4 all is available in our Key Documents section.
MS Brain Health Matters
With Professor Hobart as a founding member of the MS Brain Health community Transform MS has been at the forefront of a number of strands of work in this global initiative.
MS Brain Health emerged from an evidence-based international consensus report, Brain health: Time matters in multiple sclerosis, which recommends a strategy to maximize lifelong ‘brain health’. Professor Hobart was co-author of the initial report and has since led a delphi-study which developed international consensus standards for clinical care in Multiple Sclerosis.
The Transform MS group has recently supported delivery of a survey to help understand the impact of the MS Brain Health Initiative and is currently taking part in the pilot of a Quality Improvement Tool designed to help improve MS standards and encourage delivery of the principles of MS Brain Health: Time Matters.
