Welcome to the Spring edition of the TiMS newsletter. As you will see below, we have jumped headlong into the New Year with some exciting new projects including writing a respiratory pathway, making videos on basic postural management and updating the ataxia and tremor section of the MS Trust website. Please let us know if you would be willing to contribute in any way to these projects or share any existing work, especially if you have already written pathways or ataxia handouts for people with MS. We would love to hear from you.
May we also encourage you all to attend the Cognition Study day at the end of March and to tell colleagues about it. There are some great speakers and it is really important that we understand the impact of cognitive change on people with MS, how to manage it and how it can impact on the management strategies we use. Sign up now, it’s not too late!
Wendy Hendrie and Pam Bostock (Co-chairs of TiMS)
Places are still available so don’t miss out, please book on line today. (Booking now closed)
TiMS in partnership with the Multiple Sclerosis Trust, are organising a study day and workshop on understanding cognition in MS clinical practice. The day is suitable for both AHP and nursing staff who have a basic knowledge of cognition. The cost is £75 +VAT (which includes lunch and refreshments). Please pass the programme details onto any colleagues who may be interested in attending.
We really hope to see you there!
TiMS have started discussions to establish what document we would like to produce that may support you with assessing and managing your clients from a respiratory point of view. Watch this space and please let us know if you have an existing pathway in use in your area of work or would like to be involved in drawing one up.
TiMS are reviewing the posture pages and we hope they will be even more useful with the addition of some short videos and up to date advice and leaflets on passive stretching.
There is currently a gap in the information available on the website so updating this will also be a project for TiMS this year. The plan is to combine the information on ataxia and tremor so they sit in the same place on the website. We will also be writing an information leaflet for people with MS about how to manage this disabling condition, especially the use of compensatory strategies as well as giving people advice on how to stay as physically active as possible.
A survey was sent out recently asking people about their use of the TiMS Skills and Knowledge Framework for PTs and OTs. The results were as follows:
- 71% of responders were PTs and 29% were OTs
- The most commonly used grades were ‘proficient’ (Band 6) and ‘specialist’ (Band 7)
- 86% of responders said that 3 grades would have been enough
- 50% of responders said that it was easy to use
- 50% of responders said that the content was sufficient
- 88% of responders used it to identify gaps in their skills and knowledge
We will use these results to modify the framework, making it simpler to use. It was pleasing to hear that 88% had used it to identify gaps in skills and knowledge which was one of the main aims of the framework.
Phase 2 of this project is underway to obtain user feedback from people with MS who took part in the pilot phase. All teams that participated last year will be approached to take part in phase 2. Data analysis will take place in September so that the TiMS research group can submit an abstract and poster at the MS Trust conference in November.
MS Trust Conference
This year's programme is currently being drafted but already looks to have a great range of sessions for therapists. Online booking will open in early April and there will again be fifty 80% bursary places available to TiMS members (allocated on a first-come first-served basis). The MS Trust will email you with further information soon.
Neuroscience meeting
TiMS Chairs, Pam Bostock and Wendy Hendrie, are representing TiMS at meetings with NHS England looking at how specialist commissioning services should configure regional services. This involves looking at the elements of what constitutes a good service; what specialist services should look like; what people with MS need from a specialist service; and identifying when they need it. We will keep you updated on the outcomes.
MS in Practice
This publication was launched by the MS Trust in February 2018 to provide health professionals with essential updates on the latest thinking in MS care in an easily-digestible format with the aim of bringing together the most important news and views in one place. It is published quarterly.
Annual RIMS Conference
The annual RIMS Conference 'Crossing the Interface to Explore New Possibilities' is being held in Ljublijana, Slovenia from the 20 - 22nd June.
