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 or 112.
- An email service, running the same hours as the phone line, as some people prefer to have their questions answered in this way. 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.
- 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.
The MSA Trust provides information and support for people affected by Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). This information is intended for general guidance only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. While we aim to ensure information is accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee this. As a charity, we do not hold or have access to NHS or HSE medical records and are not able to advise on individual changes to care or medication. Any decisions about your care or treatment should always be discussed with your own healthcare team. Our MSA Health Care Specialist Team is happy to provide general guidance and to liaise with healthcare professionals involved in your care where appropriate; however, this does not replace clinical advice from your treating clinicians. If you have concerns about your health, you should seek advice from your GP, specialist or other qualified healthcare professional.