More MS news articles for August 2003

National Clinical Guidelines For the Management of Multiple Sclerosis in Primary and Secondary Care in the National Health Service

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/?section=inthenews&content=niceguide

August, 2003
Multiple Sclerosis Trust

As well as delivering verdicts on the use of drugs in the NHS, for example beta interferon and glatiramer acetate for the treatment of MS, NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Evidence) also produces Guidelines and in 2000 was asked by the Department of Health to consider the management of MS.

The guideline development process has involved searching through and evaluating in a systematic manner the published evidence on the treatment of MS. Where there is no evidence, a panel of experts have made recommendations on the basis of consensus. The panel was drawn from health professionals specialising in MS, and a representative each from the MS Trust and the MS Society.

The MS Trust has been a stakeholder during the three year process, representing the views of people with MS and submitting documents based on the comments of a number of people who have responded to the drafts of the guidelines as they have become available.

In March 2003, three draft versions were made available on the NICE website for public consultation:

the full guideline, containing full text and background material, references, and systematic reviewer comments

the NICE guideline, targeted principally at health professionals and NHS managers

the public version, for people personally affected by MS and the general public

Since March, further consultation has taken place with stakeholders and revisions are still being made. However, there has been slippage from the original deadlines and publication is now expected on 22 October 2003.

These clinical guidelines will make key recommendations for service improvement for the management of MS in England and Wales. They will act as a benchmark for best practice by which all who are involved in MS - whether personally or professionally – will, we hope, be able to work together for better services.