Postcode lottery leaves MS patients at higher risk, charity warns

MS patients face a higher risk of disabling relapses and faster disease progression as access to key treatments varies across the UK, new research has reveaoled.

The analysis from the MS Society suggests access to high-efficacy treatments for multiple sclerosis differs significantly depending on where people live.

Disease-modifying therapies, known as DMTs, are treatments that can reduce relapses and slow the build-up of disability in some people with MS.

The MS Society said DMTs have transformed the outlook for many patients, but warned that access to the most effective drugs remains unequal.

Dr Kate Petheram, consultant neurologist at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’ve made great progress in treating multiple sclerosis, but the reality is that these advances are not reaching all patients.

“Access to the best treatments is unequal, and the services needed to provide and monitor them are under strain.

“Workforce shortages, limited infusion capacity, and gaps in access to specialist MS expertise are key factors. Without action, we risk embedding a system where some patients receive modern, highly effective care while others are left behind.”

In some parts of the UK, more than 80 per cent of new patients started on high-efficacy treatments in 2024/25.

In other areas, the proportion was below 40 per cent.

The MS Society said early treatment can improve long-term health and wellbeing by slowing irreversible damage and reducing relapses.

While some variation is expected, and the highest efficacy treatments are not suitable for everyone, the charity said the current gap is “unacceptably high”.

It warned that unequal access risks deepening inequalities in outcomes for people with MS and leaving vulnerable patients behind.

More than 150,000 people in the UK live with MS, with 135 diagnosed each week.

Twenty years ago, only a small number of effective DMTs were available through the NHS. Today, there are more than 20.

However, the infrastructure needed to deliver and monitor high-efficacy treatments has not developed evenly across the country.

The charity said wider MS services outside DMT delivery, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health support and community-based care, are also under growing strain.

It said these services have not seen the same level of growth as focus and investment have increasingly shifted towards treatment pathways.

This is particularly affecting people with progressive forms of MS, many of whom are not eligible for DMTs and rely on other forms of support.

Sian, 33, from South East London, was repeatedly told that starting treatment as soon as possible was best, but did not begin treatment until almost a year later.

She said: “I was diagnosed with MS in June 2025 and first met my consultant four months later, in October. At that appointment, I was told I would begin treatment within two months, but the reality was very different. I didn’t start a treatment until April 2026. The long wait left me feeling frustrated, anxious, vulnerable and frightened.

“I had given birth to my first child just six months before my diagnosis, and during such an overwhelming time, I had so many questions but very little support or communication.

“I know the NHS is under enormous pressure, but living with the uncertainty of untreated MS has been incredibly stressful. The lack of care and clear communication has made me feel powerless at a time when I most needed reassurance and support.”

The MS Society, the Neurological Alliance and more than 30 organisations are calling for a Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions.

They said this would create a single, joined-up plan to improve and standardise care across the country.

Modern Service Frameworks already exist for areas including cardiovascular disease, mental health and frailty.

Around one in nine people live with cardiovascular disease in the UK, and one in four live with a mental health condition.

An estimated one in six people live with a neurological condition, but there is currently no equivalent national framework for neurological care.

The proposed framework would aim to reduce unnecessary emergency admissions, tackle unwarranted variation in innovative treatments and care, and better align services with growing demand.

It would also seek to strengthen support for people who cannot benefit from drug treatments and support more consistent, integrated care at neighbourhood level.

Ceri Smith, head of policy and evidence at the MS Society, said: “Getting the right treatment for MS can change people’s lives. But access to DMTs still depends too heavily on where you live, and the gap between best and worst as it stands is unacceptably high.

“The government has committed to making more innovative treatments available in the UK. But it must do more to make sure people can have the chance to try them, wherever they are in the country.

“At the same time, care and support services for people with MS are under-resourced.

“We’re seeing a real risk that people who can’t benefit from these treatments are also missing out on other types of essential care, and this very often includes people with MS who need the most support.

“We’re calling for a Modern Service Framework that would provide the clear, joined-up plan that’s currently missing for neurological conditions.

“It’s vital that everyone with MS can access the care and support they need.”