Christmas closing and opening

BMSTC will close at 1.00 pm on Friday 23rd December and re-open at 9.00 a.m. on Tuesday 3rd January.  Limited Oxygen Therapy will be available during this time. Call 0118 901 6000 for details.

On behalf of everyone here at the Centre I would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year!

Pip xxx

Chief executive to leave council

Source BBC:

The chief executive of Reading Borough Council is to leave as part of the authority's plans to save about £1m.

Michael Coughlin said he was in talks with the council about the timing of his departure.  Read more here.

Wolfson Foundation Awards £20million To UCL For Experimental Neurology Centre

Source Medical News Today:
A new centre dedicated to the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be established at UCL following the award of a £20million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, it was announced today.  To read more click here.

Vitamin D in food to combat Scots MS

Source BBC:
A University of Oxford professor has said rates of multiple sclerosis are so dire in Scotland essential foodstuffs should be fortified with vitamin D.

Prof George Ebers has said the Scottish government is now leaving itself open to legal action from people who go on to develop MS in future because the link between the condition and vitamin D deficiency is so strong.  To watch click here.

Local Giving matched fund raises £6,000 for BMSTC!

Thank you to everyone who made a donation to the Centre via the 'Double Your Money' email that Jackie sent out last week. A total of £2,780 was donated, of which £2,500 will be matched by the fund plus gift aided where able.

 In total we shall receive almost £6,000 which is fantastic and a great way to finish the year which has been very difficult on the Fundraising Front. Happy Christmas Everyone :)

(P.S. For those who were unable to support the appeal on this occasion, we are told there will be another Local Giving  Match Fund opportunity in spring next year!)

MS - Scotland's lonely disease.

Source BBC:
Scotland has the highest prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis of any country in the world, with 1 in 500 Scots living with this progressive neurological disease. In this hour-long documentary we get a glimpse into the lives of a handful of those individuals.

We find out how they deal with the problems that MS throws up, and meet several who refuse to let the disease beat them.  To watch click here.

Vote for BMSTC!

Please vote for BMSTC! We have 56 votes already, we need 44 more to reach 100 before the ! Thank you to all who have voted :0)

To vote click here!

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) given green light by Devon and Cornwall NHS

Source MS Trust:
The Peninsula Commissioning Priorities Group has announced that, following a review of evidence, functional electrical stimulation (FES) should be available for people with foot drop caused by damage to the brain or spinal cord whose walking has not improved with other options such as ankle supports.  For more click here.

(Don't for get we offer a FES Clinic at BMSTC, email ruth@bmstc.org for more information about our service)

South Central Ambulance Service awarded 'trust of the year'

Source BBC:

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SCAS) has been named trust of the year.

The announcement was made at the 2011 Health Business Awards at the Emirates Stadium in north London on Wednesday.

NHS figures have showed it to be the best performing ambulance trust in England in terms of response times.  Read more here.

Cow Lane road closure

Source BBC:

The installation of a new bridge in Reading could bring delays to traffic in the town as Cow Lane is closed for six weeks from the 19th December to 30th January.  Read more here.

Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre raises £1017 for BMSTC!

We would like to say a huge thank you to the team at Flint House for raising and incredible £1,017 for us from their Christmas Raffle! What a fantastic Christmas Gift, well done to the organisers and thank you for your support. Merry Christmas! :0)

For more information on their work see their website http://www.flinthouse.co.uk/  or visit their Facebook page here.

Implementation of neurological services remains patchy

Source MS Trust:
Implementation of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-Term Conditions has been poor and lacked clear leadership, coordination, and monitoring information, according to a report published by the National Audit Office.  Read more here.

Neurology emergencies up by a third

Source MSN News UK:
Emergency hospital admissions for people with conditions such as Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis have risen by almost a third despite a huge financial investment in services.

A National Audit Office (NAO) study found important indicators of care for people with neurological conditions have "worsened", and the Department of Health is unable to say whether extra spending has been effective.  Read more here.

BMSTC Christmas Party - Friday 16th December

Double your money!!

Would you like to make a donation to the Centre and have the amount doubled before your eyes! All you have to do is log onto http://localgiving.com/charity/bmstc  and make your donation. Simples!

If you are a UK tax payer, they will add a further 22% to the donation.Fantastic! :)
 
Happy Christmas Everyone!

Volunteer Oxygen Operators needed!

Would you like to volunteer at the Centre? We need some more oxygen operators to help us on a regular basis. Full training and support given to willing volunteers who can commit to coming to run a session every week.

In particular we are looking for help on a Tuesday (a.m. and p.m.) or a Wednesday/Thursday (p.m.) If you're interested please email pippa@bmstc.org Thank you!

University of the 3rd Age - including the Virtual U3A

The Third Age Trust is the national representative body for the Universities of Third Age (U3As) in the UK. U3As are self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older people no longer in full time work, providing opportunities for their members to share learning experiences in a wide range of interest groups and to pursue learning not for qualifications, but for fun. 

To find your local group follow this link: http://www.u3a.org.uk/find-a-u3a/search-by-town.html
Alternatively if you are unable to attend a group but wish to join the Virtual U3A follow this link:
http://vu3a.org/

School gets cash for DNA research

Source BBC:A school in Kent has been awarded £250,000 by the Wellcome Trust to conduct research into multiple sclerosis.  Watch here.

Rare gene links vitamin D and multiple sclerosis

Source BBC:
A rare genetic variant which causes reduced levels of vitamin D appears to be directly linked to multiple sclerosis, says an Oxford University study.  Read more here.

BMSTC needs your vote!

Please vote for BMSTC! We need 100 votes to be on the awards list - we have 12 so far so only another 88 votes are needed - please share this with your family and friends on Facebook to spread the work. Thank you :0)  To vote click here!!

Fooling immune system reverses mice multiple sclerosis

Source New Scientist:

TO FIGHT an autoimmune disease, you've got to outwit a rogue immune system that has turned on itself. By doing just that, symptoms of multiple sclerosis have been reversed in mice.  For more click here.

Disabled Motoring UK welcomes Government u-turn over disability benefit

Source Disabled Motoring UK:
Disabled Motoring UK welcomes the news that plans to axe mobility benefit payments to disabled people living in care homes are being dropped. The Government had planned to cut the “mobility” part of Disability Living Allowance – currently worth £51 per week – for those in residential care, claiming that existing Local Authority contracts with care homes should cover residents’ mobility needs.
For more click here.

New MS pill refused again by NICE

Source MS Society:

The new pill for people with relapsing-remitting MS, called Gilenya (formerly known as fingolimod), has been refused by NICE for a second time on the grounds of poor cost effectiveness.  For more click here.

NHS priorities may provide benefit for people with MS

Source MS Trust:
The Department of Health has published its new NHS Operating Framework outlining performance targets and financial requirements in England for the year from April 2012. The MS Trust welcomes the fact that the Framework focuses on several issues that could potentially benefit people with MS.  For more click here.

Treatment of clinically isolated syndrome with interferon beta 1a reduces the risk of conversion to MS

Source MS Trust:
Results from the REFLEX study (REbif FLEXible dosing in early MS) show that interferon beta 1a delayed clincal relapse and subclinical disease activity in people with clinically isolated syndrome whether given once or three times a week. An earlier study (ETOMS) found that 22mg of interferon beta 1a once a week was effective in delaying the diagnosis of MS, this study compared the effects of two dosing regimes with placebo.  For more click here.