Report finds MS patients in Wales face postcode lottery of care

The report, Mapping and Analysis of the Multiple Sclerosis Workforce in Wales, reveals stark disparities in MS support across Wales, raising concerns from MS Society Cymru and health professionals about workforce shortages, long travel times, and inadequate psychological services.

The report highlights that in north Wales, patients face access of one full-time MS healthcare professional per 1,000 patients, and MS nurses care for an average of 501 patients each—more than 30 per cent above recommended levels.

Shelley Elgin, director for Wales, MS Society, said: “MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable.

“People with MS in Wales should not have to plan their health around geography, yet this report shows some patients face up to a six-hour round trip just to access the care they need.

“Right now, the neurology workforce in Wales is overstretched and the lack of succession planning is a ticking time bomb.

“We also have huge concerns about the lack of MS-specific psychological support and home visit services, which are leaving people with MS feeling isolated and unsupported.

“We need urgent, coordinated action to address these inequalities, support the Welsh MS community, and tackle this crisis now.”

The report finds that none of Wales’ seven health boards currently employ an Advanced MS Champion.

Pilot data suggests that this role could significantly reduce hospital admissions and GP visits for MS patients.

The absence of these roles, coupled with limited access to MS-trained neuropsychologists outside Cardiff and Vale and Cwm Taf, means that most people with MS in Wales struggle to access specialised psychological care.

Mobility and transport continue to present serious barriers.

With only three health boards offering home visit services and many patients unable to drive, some are forced to change treatment plans based on travel difficulties rather than clinical need.

Stuart Nixon, MBE, MS Society Ambassador living with MS, said: “This excellent report demonstrates, in stark terms, the precarious state of MS services across Wales.

“With consultant numbers half that of the UK as a whole, and MS nurses with a 1/3 more patients than other nations, access to medical specialists is poor.

“Given the present lack of adequate succession planning, this situation could become catastrophic very soon.

“MS services in Wales need help now to avoid this!”