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MSA Trust

How our MSA Health Care Specialists Help

Our six MSA Health Care Specialists work across the UK and Ireland to help support anyone affected by MSA. Click here to contact one of the MSA Health Care Specialists and to see which areas they each cover. Please note that as there are only six MSA Health Care Specialists they are unable to offer home visits and we do not provide an emergency service.

Below is a list of some of the services they are able to provide to people living in the UK and Ireland:

  • A telephone support line available Monday to Thursday from 9.00am – 5.00pm and Fridays from 9.00am-4.00pm. Should the MSA Health Care Specialists be away from their desks, they will reply to messages left on their answerphones as quickly as possible. They receive calls about many different aspects of living with MSA, from people with the condition and also from carers and family members. Sometimes calls are about the physical issues of MSA, helping people to think through the practical changes that might make life easier, such as how to adapt rooms at home. Other calls can be more about helping people with any emotional concerns they may have. If you feel you need urgent and immediate advice you should contact your GP or emergency services on 999.
  • An email service, as some people prefer to have their questions answered in this way. Perhaps because it means they can get in touch at any time of the day or night and answers can be read when it is most convenient to them. The MSA Health Care Specialists try to get back to people within two working days.
  • Liaising with your healthcare professionals: The MSA Health Care Specialists offer support and make suggestions based on their specialist knowledge of the condition but they do not manage the care of people with MSA as they are not part of the NHS system. The MSA Health Care Specialists are willing to liaise with any healthcare professionals who require specialist knowledge about MSA. For this to happen, the person with MSA needs to give their healthcare professional the contact details of the MSA Health Care Specialists and ask the professional to contact them.
  • Assistance with continuing healthcare funding can be offered by our MSA Health Care Specialists who are happy to write a letter of support. Please also speak to our Social Welfare Specialist about support with this.
  • Visits to our Support Groups to discuss any MSA topics of interest to people attending the meetings and to provide updates on current thinking on treatments and research.
  • Attending specialist MSA clinics around the country.
  • Providing training to health and care professionals who support people with MSA and their families. To find out more about this please visit our Education and Awareness page.
  • Writing and editing the information materials we provide and articles for our MSA News magazine.