Specialist MS team set up in city

MS is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system.

A specialist team has been created to help people in Dundee with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The group, which is described as the first of its kind in Scotland, features a social worker, physiotherapist, nurses and neurologists.

About 350 people in Dundee have MS, a disease of the central nervous system which has no cure.

Symptoms include eye problems, muscle weakness or spasms, a loss of balance or co-ordination and numbness.

Shona Robison, minister for public health, said: "For reasons we don't fully understand, Scotland has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world.

"That fact alone means we need to take the condition extremely seriously, but of course behind every statistic there are real people and real families coping with circumstances which can be extremely difficult. Our efforts have to focus on them.

"The launch of this new multi-disciplinary team in Dundee, bringing together a range of key specialists, including for the first time a dedicated MS specialist care manager/social worker, will help deliver a more integrated service to the hundreds of people in the city living with MS."

This is a great day for people affected by MS in Dundee John Ballantyne MS Society - Dundee Branch

Ms Robison also announced that the Scottish Government had given the MS Society £70,000 to carry out a national audit of those with the condition.

John Ballantyne, chair of the Dundee branch of the MS Society, said they had campaigned for three years for such a team.

"This is a great day for people affected by MS in Dundee," he said.

"The team is also a great example of the voluntary and public sectors working effectively together to deliver the kind of integrated services that people in Dundee need.

"However, we also know that this is only the beginning of the process of improving services and look forward to playing our full part in making it a success."