House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week
01 May 2025 · Department of Health and Social Care
Proposed by Ashley Dalton Lab West Lancashire
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The government is updating service specifications for multiple sclerosis healthcare.
- Access to treatments such as cladribine and ublituximab is being expanded for MS patients.
- The NHS 10-year Health Plan aims to enhance community-based care and technological use for MS management.
Issue summary
The statement addresses the government's efforts to improve healthcare services for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) during MS Awareness Week.
Action requested
The government is updating service specifications, expanding access to treatments like cladribine and ublituximab, and promoting research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The NHS 10-year Health Plan aims to provide better community-based care and use technology more effectively for MS patients.
Key facts
- MS Awareness Week is from 28 April – 4 May.
- NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Neurology Programme supports improvements in MS care.
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) expanded access to cladribine treatment for an estimated 2,000 patients over three years.
- NICE approved ublituximab for active relapsing-remitting MS in December 2024.
- NIHR spent £72.9 million on neurological research in 2023/24.
- The NHS 10-year Health Plan aims to improve care for long-term conditions like MS.