Do you have disability equipment that is no longer needed?

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We all have or know someone with that bit of equipment stored in the house, the garage or shed, that’s no longer needed.

If you or a relative have community equipment that is no longer needed please call NRS on 0844 893 6960 (Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm) to arrange for it to be collected FREE.

Not returning equipment costs social services and the NHS thousands of pounds every year -this money could be used to make sure other residents get the help they need. Find out more about NRS Healthcare here.

Other brain diseases reveal clues to primary progressive MS

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Source MS Research Australia: Brain disease genes linked to primary progressive MS risk. 

Despite many genes being found that contribute to the risk of developing MS, so far research has not identified genes that are specific for the risk of developing the primary progressive form of MS. Now, a new international study has shown that rare changes to genes that cause other brain diseases may also play a role in primary progressive MS.  Read on.

What is SymTrac™

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Source Novartis: SymTrac™ is a free app available on iPhone and Android that helps people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) track general wellbeing and symptoms over time. The data recorded can be viewed in easy-to-read charts and shared with MS specialist teams to enhance consultation time and support decision making. SymTrac™ is the first MS app to have been approved on the NHS Health Apps Library.

Designed by people with MS for people with MS, SymTrac™ allows users to make the most of their vital consultation time by providing an objective picture of how their MS has been since their last appointment.  Find out more here.

Nominate us for an award!

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Didcot First are taking nominations for the Business and Community Awards.  If you feel the centre has gone above and beyond and you would like to nominate us for an award, please visit www.didcotfirst.org and select the ‘BACS’ tab to complete a nomination form.  Winners receive a framed certificate in recognition of their achievement along with a cheque for £100.

Didcot First is an Independent organisation. We are committed to connecting business and community so that Didcot is a positive place to live, work, invest and grow.

Sad news

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Ted Lyall, a volunteer here at the centre when I first came to the centre, passed away last Thursday.  There is a memorial service for him at South Oxfordshire Crematorium on 21st August at 3pm and afterwards at La Fontana Restaurant.  There is a card at the centre for anyone wishing to sign it.

Raffle prizes needed

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For a quiz night to be held by the Nightingale Pub Bicester on Thursday 30th August.  I am also happy to now accept raffle prizes for the MS Quiz Night onFriday 12th October

Wasp Nest

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We have a wasp nest under the centre by the disabled walkway.  Milton Park have been informed and will come and investigate.  Please be aware.

Government review says doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis for medicinal use.

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Source MS Society: Government review says doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis for medicinal use.

(Note: What medical professionals usually mean by ‘medicinal cannabis’ or ‘medical cannabis’ is cannabis products licensed as medical treatments. So for MS, that means Sativex, which is specifically licensed to treat muscle spasms and stiffness in MS. Journalists or other people using the phrase could mean cannabis used for any medical purpose.)

Last week, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended that cannabis-derived medicinal products should be able to be prescribed by clinicians. The ACMD advises the government on the control of drugs across the UK.

This announcement follows the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, confirming that cannabis-based medicinal products have therapeutic benefits for some medical conditions. This includes treating chronic pain and spasticity in MS. Read on.

Doctors think they have discovered the cause of multiple sclerosis

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Source Mail Online: Could vaccine for a common virus stop multiple sclerosis? Doctors think they have discovered the cause of disease.

(Note: The researchers’ explanation is currently just a theory but they plan to carry out further research.)

A vaccine for avoiding multiple sclerosis has moved a step closer, as doctors believe they have discovered the cause of the disease. MS develops following two separate common infections which cause the body to attack itself, British research has found.  And doctors now believe the development of a vaccine against one of the viruses may hold the key to future MS prevention.  Read on.