Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

The Government recognises that there is geographical variation in England in the proportion of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are started on high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMDs) and is committed to improving equitable access to the most appropriate treatments in line with clinical need.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides evidence-based guidance on the use of DMDs for MS, including both high-efficacy and escalation approaches, to support clinicians and commissioners in making treatment decisions. NHS England’s treatment algorithm for MS DMDs provides a framework to aid decision-making for MS specialists and patients, to help reduce excessive variation in practice, and to ensure safe and effective prescribing. NHS England is also supporting improvement through programmes such as Getting It Right First Time, which help identify unwarranted variation and promote best practice across systems.

In addition, national audit and data collections, including the UK MS Register, provide insights into treatment patterns and outcomes, supporting clinicians and systems to benchmark performance and drive improvement.

Through these combined measures, the Department and NHS England are working to reduce unwarranted variation and ensure that people with MS are able to access the most appropriate therapies for their condition, based on clinical evidence and individual circumstances.