NEWS
MS specialist role deserves proper recognition from NICE, says charity By Alistair Kleebauer
@alistairbauer
A national charity has criticised the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for what it says is a failure to emphasise the importance of specialist nurses in updated guidance. NICE has published a number of fresh recommendations for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in primary and secondary care in England and Wales. The guidance recommends people with MS have a comprehensive care review at least once a year and teams, made up of MS specialist nurses, GPs, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, should oversee care. However, the Multiple Sclerosis Trust believes the guidance ‘falls short’ and head of service development Amy Bowen said it was disappointing NICE had not said MS nurses are ideally placed to conduct the review. ‘The MS nurse has the clinical expertise, the specialist knowledge and skills,’ said Ms Bowen, a former critical care nurse. ‘They understand
the full breadth and complexity of MS, which is a lifelong condition that affects each individual differently. ‘MS nurses have the core nursing skills to look at someone holistically and to help people with MS manage their symptoms,’ she added. The updated NICE guidance states that the care review should be carried
‘THESE NURSES UNDERSTAND THE CONDITION’S FULL BREADTH AND COMPLEXITY’ out by healthcare professionals with expertise in MS and its complications, and should cover the individual’s specific symptoms, general health, social activity as well as care. ‘The guidance is not intended to be a model of service delivery, but it should be a description of best practice,’ said Ms Bowen. ‘NICE is reluctant to name particular roles, although not when it comes to doctors. ‘When you come to defining a review, you are describing the core activities and skills of MS nurses.’
NICE recommends offering the patient a single point of contact – someone who co-ordinates their care and helps them to access services – however the Multiple Sclerosis Trust said it should have stated that MS nurses are in an ideal position to do this. The role nurses have in assessing and implementing care plans to address specific symptoms, such as spasticity and bowel problems, should have been highlighted, Ms Bowen said. She welcomed the guidance’s promotion of a multidisciplinary approach to MS care and said ‘nurses have long known to work in that collaborative way’. But Paul Cooper, chair of the NICE guideline development group and a consultant neurologist, said: ‘We can say what someone needs, not who should provide that service. There are a number of things that people with MS require that will be provided by different people in the multidisciplinary team. The package is an excellent one.’ To view the guidance, to go www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg186
A nurse who risked serious injury to save the life of a patient who had set himself on fire has won an award for bravery. Agnes Malcolmson, who works for Townhead Health Centre at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, is pictured with colleague Danny Turner and TV presenter Carol Vorderman at the Pride of Britain Awards 2014 ceremony in London last week. The pair tackled the man, who was engulfed in a ball of flames. Their actions prevented injury to other patients. ‘I saw this huge ball of fire so I screamed at the man to get down,’ Ms Malcolmson recalled. ‘My training kicked in. I do not think of myself as a hero. I was amazed at how much clarity came into my mind in a split second.’ She said that ceremony highlights included being told by chef Gordon Ramsey that she had won and meeting Simon Cowell, who was a ‘real gentleman’.
PRIDE OF BRITAIN
Nurse’s heroism makes her the Pride of Britain
NURSING :: vol no 7 ::permission. 2014 11 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 26, 2015. For personal useoctober only. No 15 other uses29 without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
MS specialist role deserves proper recognition from NICE, says charity By Alistair Kleebauer
@alistairbauer
A national charity has criticised the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for what it says is a failure to emphasise the importance of specialist nurses in updated guidance. NICE has published a number of fresh recommendations for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in primary and secondary care in England and Wales. The guidance recommends people with MS have a comprehensive care review at least once a year and teams, made up of MS specialist nurses, GPs, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, should oversee care. However, the Multiple Sclerosis Trust believes the guidance ‘falls short’ and head of service development Amy Bowen said it was disappointing NICE had not said MS nurses are ideally placed to conduct the review. ‘The MS nurse has the clinical expertise, the specialist knowledge and skills,’ said Ms Bowen, a former critical care nurse. ‘They understand
the full breadth and complexity of MS, which is a lifelong condition that affects each individual differently. ‘MS nurses have the core nursing skills to look at someone holistically and to help people with MS manage their symptoms,’ she added. The updated NICE guidance states that the care review should be carried
‘THESE NURSES UNDERSTAND THE CONDITION’S FULL BREADTH AND COMPLEXITY’ out by healthcare professionals with expertise in MS and its complications, and should cover the individual’s specific symptoms, general health, social activity as well as care. ‘The guidance is not intended to be a model of service delivery, but it should be a description of best practice,’ said Ms Bowen. ‘NICE is reluctant to name particular roles, although not when it comes to doctors. ‘When you come to defining a review, you are describing the core activities and skills of MS nurses.’
NICE recommends offering the patient a single point of contact – someone who co-ordinates their care and helps them to access services – however the Multiple Sclerosis Trust said it should have stated that MS nurses are in an ideal position to do this. The role nurses have in assessing and implementing care plans to address specific symptoms, such as spasticity and bowel problems, should have been highlighted, Ms Bowen said. She welcomed the guidance’s promotion of a multidisciplinary approach to MS care and said ‘nurses have long known to work in that collaborative way’. But Paul Cooper, chair of the NICE guideline development group and a consultant neurologist, said: ‘We can say what someone needs, not who should provide that service. There are a number of things that people with MS require that will be provided by different people in the multidisciplinary team. The package is an excellent one.’ To view the guidance, to go www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg186
A nurse who risked serious injury to save the life of a patient who had set himself on fire has won an award for bravery. Agnes Malcolmson, who works for Townhead Health Centre at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, is pictured with colleague Danny Turner and TV presenter Carol Vorderman at the Pride of Britain Awards 2014 ceremony in London last week. The pair tackled the man, who was engulfed in a ball of flames. Their actions prevented injury to other patients. ‘I saw this huge ball of fire so I screamed at the man to get down,’ Ms Malcolmson recalled. ‘My training kicked in. I do not think of myself as a hero. I was amazed at how much clarity came into my mind in a split second.’ She said that ceremony highlights included being told by chef Gordon Ramsey that she had won and meeting Simon Cowell, who was a ‘real gentleman’.
PRIDE OF BRITAIN
Nurse’s heroism makes her the Pride of Britain
NURSING :: vol no 7 ::permission. 2014 11 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 26, 2015. For personal useoctober only. No 15 other uses29 without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
