Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether the ability of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to access to treatment options has been adversely affected during the covid-19 outbreak; and what plans he has to ensure that MS patients are able to access treatment that is appropriate for (a) their disease course, (b) overall quality of life and (c) other individual needs.

No specific assessment has been made. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Health Service in England has maintained access to urgent and emergency care, including treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). For non-urgent care, remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services have been made available as a priority where appropriate.

On 23 December 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement outlined priorities for the remainder of 2020-2021 and into 2021-2022, including maximising the NHS’s capacity to treat non-COVID-19 patients. This capacity includes services for people with neurological conditions, including for MS treatments across their disease course, whether they are for their overall quality of life or other individual needs - for example, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.