This year’s conference was a great success and if you attended, we hope you gained much to support your therapy for people with MS.
As usual there was a meet and greet for new therapists to conference, which we hope you found helpful. Plus, there were fabulous early morning yoga sessions from TiMS member Jody, that set us in the right mood for learning and networking!
Save the date for conference 2025 – Sunday 23 to Tuesday 25 March 2025.
We are excitedly planning celebrating 20 years of TiMS at conference 2025!
Find out about the MS Trust conference 2025
MS Trust Foundation (Development) Module
For therapists who are new to working in MS, there’s a foundation training development module by the MS Trust.
The Development of Multiple Sclerosis Care and Management for Specialists is a three-month course by the MS Trust. It is designed for new in post (minimum three to six months) MS specialist nurses, therapists and other health professionals who specialise in supporting people with MS.
The module provides a strong foundation of MS knowledge upon which further specialist knowledge can develop. It covers a range of clinical and professional issues relevant to health professionals undertaking a specialist role.
Sign up for the Foundation (Development) Module.
Bladder and bowel pathway
TiMS have endorsed this new pathway from the Neurology Academy, and we encourage you to follow this link to learn more about supporting people with bladder and bowel problems in MS.
Read the bladder and bowel pathway.
PIP consultation - Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper
This consultation seeks views on whether we should make fundamental changes to how the PIP system supports disabled people and people with health conditions, and whether the system delivers the right support to people most in need.
TiMS are putting together a response for this, but we encourage everyone to give your views.
MS competency framework developed by therapists
To complement the Allied Health Professionals competency framework for progressive neurological conditions, TiMS (Therapists in MS) published a knowledge and skills matrix for occupational therapists and physiotherapists in 2018. This was reviewed and updated in 2022 and is a Word document that can be tailored by individuals to meet the needs of different work settings and learning requirements.
TiMS are currently reviewing and updating the competency framework and aim to provide you with practical ideas to help you get the most from this valuable resource through feedback and advice from those who have been using it.
The British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing are interested in publishing our competencies and we will pursue this once the work has been completed.
Read the knowledge framework.
You may find the findings from this report helpful to support business case and grant applications to fund specific packages of delivery of care for people with MS.
The aim of the report is to focus efforts on reducing the burden from neurological disorders. Economist Impact presents this research to stimulate a multi-dimensional debate, which showcases the impact from three angles: the epidemiological burden, the economic burden and the current policy landscape with reference to where urgent changes are required.
The report conducted analysis across ten neurological disorders, which included MS, and 11 different countries including the UK.
It is a worthwhile read for all TiMS members. Read the value of action report.
We are currently recruiting for more OTs, Dietitians and Speech and Language Therapists from around the UK to join our working group! We meet four times a year, with one of those meetings being face to face. If you would be interested in joining the working group, please contact therapistsinms@mstrust.org.uk with your CV.
If you have a question about any aspect of managing MS, contact the working group and we will do our very best to answer it.
If you would like more information about TiMS, the working group and to see the work we have done to date, click on TiMS in the Health Professions section on the MS Trust website.