MS Centres to remain open

Posted by & filed under Centre News.

MS Centres to remain open, see note below from Frank Sudlow from MS National Therapy Centre. 

Obviously if you have any symptoms please ring us and do not come in. 

We will continue with our new protocols of wearing masks, taking temperature, therapists wearing PPE etc. 

Any concerns please ring us.

Note from Frank Sudlow, National MS Therapy Centre, Oct 2020

Provided we continue to observe the protocols we have developed and shared, Centres can all remain open.

Is my centre allowed to be open?

Our research of Covid-19 related documentation has not identified any recommendations or legal bar to centres being open for therapies.  Not now, or at any time during the pandemic.  Furthermore, there is ample provenance for centres continuing to provide therapies;

  • Such health related provision is an essential service (World Health Organisation NIS, Annex II)
  • Our therapy centres are not included in any list of businesses or facilities that must close or are subject to baseline/key measures (HM Government Covid-19 Guidance)
  • Citizens, other than those subject to isolation, are permitted to leave home for the purposes of healthcare (ditto)
  • MSNTC continuing research confirms that those with MS suffer health deterioration when access to therapies is not available
  • Public Health England recognises the important role of the Third Sector in addressing NHS inequalities in response to the pandemic (PHE).  Their equivalent bodies in Wales and Scotland say the same.
  • The NHS across Great Britain are actively seeking to remobilise recovery and rehabilitation services, for which our centres perform an active role.

MS and Mindfulness

Posted by & filed under MS News.

There is no question that the pandemic has been tough in so many areas of our lives including psychologically. Anxiety and worry are at an all-time high. Given that living with MS is difficult at the best of times, it has become harder for so many people. 

This week the MS Society has shared some information about mindfulness and some of the benefits it can bring people with MS….

‘Life can be stressful, and MS doesn’t help. It’s easy to get caught up in our thoughts and worries. Mindfulness is one way people take back control.

Fans of mindfulness say it helps them pause, take notice of the world around, and the way they feel.  It could even help with MS symptoms like fatigue and pain.

What is mindfulness?

The idea is to notice what’s happening in the present moment. How do you feel in your mind and your body? What are your surroundings? By focussing on these details, people can find stillness and calm.

Mindfulness can be a way of stepping back from the everyday stresses of life, and from thoughts about the future or the past.

The aim is to think about things without the judgments we often make – is something good or bad, fair or unfair, important or unimportant, and so on.

It won’t stop you from having negative thoughts or difficult days. But it can be a tool to cope with them better.

Mindfulness isn’t meant to be an alternative to getting advice and treatment for mental health problems. Speak to your GP or MS nurse if you have any concerns.’

For more information, please visit the MS Society website at https://www.mssociety.org.uk/care-and-support/everyday-living/mindfulnes…

October 100 club winners

Posted by & filed under Centre News.

Tony Ball, Linda Tierney, Philip Hicks, sharing a prize fund of £72.50.  

We would love to have more members in our 100 club, fundraising has been non-existent this year and income low, so the more 100 members we have the better. 

It’s only £5 a month you can pay by cheque, cash, standing order or card.  Ask reception for details. 

Oxygen Therapy

Posted by & filed under Centre News.

Oxygen therapy will be available on a Monday from Monday 9th October. 

We will also be running a 2nd oxygen session on a Tuesday starting 10th November, IMPORTANT: the first session will start at 10am and the 2nd session at 11.30

Donathon 2021

Posted by & filed under MS Society Local Branch.

PLEASE NOTE money raised is for The MS Society not for the Centre

DONKATHON 2021

Polly is driving her two donkeys Wizard and Muffin

on a 200 mile journey from South Oxfordshire to North Wales pulling a donkey carriage and averaging 8 miles a day.

in aid of

Multiple Sclerosis Research

The adventure starts on 25 June and finishes on 25 July

You would be most welcome to join Polly en route,

or follow her on Facebook or on her website.

For more information:

www.donkathon.org

or

pvacher@aol.com

ALL WELCOME!

Patricia (osteopath)

Posted by & filed under Centre News.

Today was Patricia’s last day, we all appreciate everything she has done at the centre and we will miss her very much, we wish her much success with her business and will keep in touch. 


David Harsant will be coming back to the Centre as a manual therapist trained in osteopathic technique next week, starting Thursday 5th November and regularly on Thursdays, his appointments initially will be mornings. 

Please telephone to make your appointment. 

I hope you will support our new therapist.

Bookings

Posted by & filed under Centre News.


The bookings and cancellation policy remains THE SAME, MS members can book up to 6 weeks ahead, non-ms 3 weeks ahead. 

Some people have made bookings up to Christmas.  Any bookings that have been made outside these dates (apart from footcare and acupuncture) will be REMOVED from the diary. 

Everyone is given the bookings and cancellation policy when they become a member, the rules are also on the appointment cards and up in the centre to see.

Coronavirus advice for people with MS

Posted by & filed under MS News.

With the Covid guidelines frequently changing, what actually is the advice for people with MS?

It all depends on where you live. At the time of writing, none of our areas is on high alert. Hopefully, this remains the same. We have put together a list of reliable webpages where you can get the most up to date advice. Whilst every care has been taken to only share reputable sites, these are beyond our control. 

This will be pinned at the top of the blog so you can easily find it. Have you got something to add? Please let us know by emailing ms@bmstc.org or calling 0118 901 6000.

MS information

MS Society: https://www.mssociety.org.uk/care-and-support/ms-and-coronavirus-care-an…?

MS Trust: https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/coronavirus-covid-19-and-multiple-scleros…

Government/NHS

Gov UK: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19 

To request a test: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/g…

Local councils

Bracknell: https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/node/6473

Oxfordshire Council: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/coronavirus-covid-19

Reading Borough Council: https://www.reading.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/council-and-democracy/contact-us/coronaviru…

Slough: https://www.slough.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/coronavirus.aspx

West Berkshire: https://info.westberks.gov.uk/coronavirus

Other

‘Please give me space’: https://pleasegivemespace.uk/

MS research news

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Siponimod has been approved on the NHS as the first-ever oral treatment for people living with active secondary progressive MS in England and Wales. 

A new treatment for secondary progressive MS

Siponimod, which is taken as a daily tablet, is the first new treatment for secondary progressive MS in over a decade. The only other available treatment for active secondary progressive MS is injected, and siponimod has been shown to be more effective at reducing relapses and delaying cognitive impairment.

The drug has been found to reduce the risk of disability progression by 37% compared with a placebo (dummy drug) and could help thousands of people take control of their MS.

When siponimod was initially rejected by NICE in England and Wales in June, the MS Society asked people with MS to tell them how the drug could make a difference. The stories really helped them to urge NICE to look again at the evidence.

Who can be prescribed siponimod?

Siponimod will be available to adults with secondary progressive MS with active disease. This means those who are experiencing relapses or have evidence of inflammation on MRI scans.

It normally takes a few months for treatments to become available on the NHS. The MS Society recommends that you should speak to your doctor if you think you could benefit from siponimod.

Source: MS Society, https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/news/siponimod-approved-for-acti…