Start time for oxygen will be changing to 10am from this Friday 18th, so as it stands oxygen times from this Friday are:
Monday – 10am Tuesday – 10am and 11.30Thursday – 10amFriday – 10am
Scotland first in UK to approve ‘take at home’ MS drug
Source BBC: A new treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis has been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).
Zeposia has been developed for adult patients with relapsing-remitting MS, where the patient has flare-ups followed by periods of remission.
It is a treatment option which may reduce the need to have treatment administered in a clinical setting.
It is one of four drugs which have been newly-approved.
Ozanimod – Zeposia is manufactured by the company Bristol Myer Squibb. Taken orally once a day it provides the advantage of being taken at home and avoiding clinical appointments during the coronavirus pandemic. Read on.
Because we all care: unpaid carers
Family carers have been taking on more responsibilities than ever during the pandemic. They are in a unique position to see what is going on, good and bad, with the health and social care provided to the person they are caring for.
Not surprisingly, they are also more likely to provide feedback on care experiences than the rest of the population. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) would like to hear from anyone who is caring for a loved one about their experiences. Find out more here.
Home collection tins
Home collection tins
We have raised £2030 in just under 4 years with home collection tins. Many thanks to those who have a tin and save their small change. Our new goal is £5k!! If you don’t have a tin and would like one please ask reception.
Win a £100 donation for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire
| Share to enter Earn 3 entries when you share across all three socials!* Use this message for Facebook |
| Please support Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire on #easyfundraising this year, you can raise FREE donations when you shop online with over 4,400 retailers. It’s simple and only takes 2 minutes to sign up! This will make a BIG difference to us during this difficult time. Plus, if you sign up, we’ll get a £5 bonus donation: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/omstc/?referral-campaign=c2s&utm_source=stwsharebox |
Win a £500 donation for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire
| Enter our Valentine’s Day Giveaway! View in browser WIN a £500 donation for your cause in our Valentine’s Day Giveaway! It’s completely FREE to enter – just visit the competition page and click any of the listed retailers before midnight on 14th February. To give your cause the best chance of winning, use your ready-made tools to encourage your supporters to enter too! Enter now Share this to give your cause a better chance of WINNING! Copy, paste, personalise and share I’ve just entered the #easyfundraising Valentine’s Day Giveaway to help Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre Oxfordshire WIN a £500 donation! You can enter too, simply visit the competition page and click any of the listed retailers before midnight on 14th February! Enter now: http://efraising.org/zIIYFWspqa  £34 million Raised  2.1 million Users 160,000 Causes |
Vaccine Scams – beware and stay safe
Sadly there are some people out there who are out to take advantage of the vaccine roll out and there are a number of scams being operated.
One is a fake NHS text message telling people they’re eligible to apply for the COVID-19 vaccine. A link directs you to a fake NHS website that asks for your personal/bank details to ‘check your identity’.
The NHS will not ask you to apply for the COVID-19 vaccine and there is no charge for it. When it’s your turn, we will contact you to book your appointment. For more on the COVID-19 vaccine visit http://nhs.uk/CovidVaccine and for more information about the different scams operating visit the Which? website by clicking here
Vitamin D
This week the role of Vitamin D in the fight against Covid has been discussed again. You can read about it in The Guardian by clicking here.
The role of Vitamin D has become an area of interest for researchers looking for MS treatments. The MS Society has made testing the benefits of Vitamin D supplements as one of its top 10 research priorities.
For most people, the biggest source of vitamin D in the summer is the sun. In the winter, it is recommended that you should be more mindful about how much Vitamin D you get from your food. This year there is a greater emphasis – due to lockdown people are less likely to enjoy as much time outside.
You can find out more about Vitamin D and MS here:
Unpaid carers and the Covid vaccine
It was announced that the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) has included unpaid carers on the vaccination priority list (UK wide) group 6. Carers will be in a group higher up the list due to age if they are over 65.
If you are a carer, please make sure you are registered as one at your doctor surgery.
For more information please visit the Carers UK website by clicking here
Memory and MS
“I can’t seem to concentrate and lose my train of thought” Can you relate to this? Problems maintaining your concentration can be common for people with MS. This can make it hard to follow a good book, or a film. You may find situations with a lot of people difficult, or find that you lose track following a conversation. Concentration is involved in almost everything we do. It can affect how much we are able to enjoy TV shows or theatre trips. It can affect how well we can remember a message or conversation. It can affect how long we can work effectively on a household or employment task. Some tips and tricks to include your concentration include:
- It’s easier to concentrate in short bursts and when you’re interested in the information.
- Try to schedule important discussions at a time when you won’t be tired or fatigued, or arrange to have a rest beforehand.
- If you know that your attention is poor, think carefully about adding distractions to your environment. For example, using a satnav or listening to the radio whilst driving might not be a good idea.
For more ideas on improving your concentration, take a look at the MS Trust Staying Smart resource https://mstrust.org.uk/resources/staying-smart/attention
