NHS Tayside has appointed Scotland’s first ever Advanced Multiple Sclerosis Champion (AMSC) – and the first AMSC within palliative care in the UK.

Dundee’s Rachel Morrison, a specialist MS nurse in NHS Tayside, has been appointed to the new role after a successful pilot led by the MS Trust in 2018.

Her work as the AMSC is dedicated to caring for the complex needs of people living with advanced multiple sclerosis.

It is estimated that around 6,300 people in Scotland are living with advanced multiple sclerosis, with 1,500 people living with MS in Tayside alone.

Results from a pilot scheme show an AMSC can make a ‘hugely positive’ impact on patients’ lives and saves the NHS money.

Ms Morrison has 33 years of experience in nursing, including 12 which were spent working as an MS specialist nurse and has worked across GP practice and community nursing and as a Marie Curie nurse in palliative care.

She also established and developed the MS nursing service for the Western Isles, which was internationally recognised for its innovative practice in the MS Trust QuDos awards in 2017.

Now welcomed into this new role of AMSC, Ms Morrison is expanding her work within the Tayside MS Team to better support patients and their families and carers.

Ms Morrison will use her highly specialist knowledge and understanding of the needs of people living with advanced MS to help people live as independently and possible and improve their quality of life.

She said:

“I’m enjoying establishing and watching the MS Champion role in NHS Tayside flourish. I like the fact that this is a new role as it gives the opportunity to identify what patients need.

“I feel honoured and privileged to be creating a service that truly meets the needs and supports those living with advanced MS in a holistic way.”

Director of Health Professional Programs at the MS Trust, Paru Naik, said the organisation is delighted to welcome Rachel Morrison as an Advanced MS Champion:

“This vital role will significantly contribute to enhancing the quality of care for individuals residing in the Tayside region who have advanced MS.

“Furthermore, it will result in substantial cost savings for the NHS, amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

This comes just months after MS Society Scotland called for the government to change its Adult Disability Payment assessment process to support “fair access to benefits” for people living with fluctuating conditions like multiple sclerosis.

NHS Tayside Associate Director for Patient Access & Assurance, Jessica Henderson, said the new role is already having a positive impact on patients – particularly those in receipt of palliative care:

“Through informed decision making and planning with patients and their families, this service is improving the quality of life and independence for many living with Advanced MS.

“We are really proud to be the first board within Scotland to recognise the benefits for both patients and carers of the advanced champion role.”

Read more: Voices of disabled key to policy development; MS charity: Scrap 20m rule for disability payment; Who are Scotland's new health and care ministers?; Community Link Workers can't solve inequalities alone

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