Minister for Health visits the Resource Centre
The Minister for Health, Michael McGimpsey, visted the Resource Centre in Belfast today. He met with the Northern Ireland Director, Patricia Gordon, the Chief Executive Simon Gillespie, Dr. Stanley Hawkins and Judy Illsley Vice Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
PRESS RELEASE
MS SOCIETY THANK HEALTH MINISTER FOR HELP IN PROVISION OF NEW DRUG
The MS Society has welcomed the Minister for Health, Michael Mcgimpsey’s announcement that the use of the drug Tysabri has been endorsed by the Department of Health and will be available to MS patients by April. Mr McGimpsey made the announcement while visiting the MS Society Resource Centre at Annadale Avenue, where he met new Director Patricia Gordon, and UK Chief Executive Simon Gillespie.
The MS Society has lobbied the Minister to speed up Tysabri’s availability in Northern Ireland after it was made available in the rest of the UK last year. Patricia Gordon says she’s delighted to greet the announcement of a positive benefit for people with MS.
“I’m delighted to welcome the Minister to Annadale to hear such good news on Tysabri. This new drug could potentially make a real difference to hundreds of people with MS across Northern Ireland, and the Minister is to be congratulated in his efforts to help deliver its availability. Now that we’ve achieved the first real benefit for people with MS under devolution, we will be lobbying the Minister to look at other areas which need to be addressed such as the provision of physiotherapy. We will be making a presentation to the Minister about the fact that Northern Ireland has the second highest instance of MS per capita in the world, and looking at ways of identifying the reasons for this terrible statistic, and how the MS Society can work more closely with the department to address to help improve the lot of people with MS.”
The drug, for use in the treatment of severe relapsing remitting MS (more than two relapses in a year and specific signs of damage to the nervous system identified through an MRI scan) could potentially be prescribed to several hundreds of people in Northern Ireland. When it was made available in England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Security needed to carry out its own assessment of the drug despite the fact that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has already passed it for use elsewhere. This assessment has now been delivered.
This drug is offered to those who are suffering repeated, disabling relapses, who have no alternatives.
ENDS
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT BARRY TURLEY OF ASITIS CONSULTING ON 02890 438677
OR 07734 256318
MS SOCIETY THANK HEALTH MINISTER FOR HELP IN PROVISION OF NEW DRUG
The MS Society has welcomed the Minister for Health, Michael Mcgimpsey’s announcement that the use of the drug Tysabri has been endorsed by the Department of Health and will be available to MS patients by April. Mr McGimpsey made the announcement while visiting the MS Society Resource Centre at Annadale Avenue, where he met new Director Patricia Gordon, and UK Chief Executive Simon Gillespie.
The MS Society has lobbied the Minister to speed up Tysabri’s availability in Northern Ireland after it was made available in the rest of the UK last year. Patricia Gordon says she’s delighted to greet the announcement of a positive benefit for people with MS.
“I’m delighted to welcome the Minister to Annadale to hear such good news on Tysabri. This new drug could potentially make a real difference to hundreds of people with MS across Northern Ireland, and the Minister is to be congratulated in his efforts to help deliver its availability. Now that we’ve achieved the first real benefit for people with MS under devolution, we will be lobbying the Minister to look at other areas which need to be addressed such as the provision of physiotherapy. We will be making a presentation to the Minister about the fact that Northern Ireland has the second highest instance of MS per capita in the world, and looking at ways of identifying the reasons for this terrible statistic, and how the MS Society can work more closely with the department to address to help improve the lot of people with MS.”
The drug, for use in the treatment of severe relapsing remitting MS (more than two relapses in a year and specific signs of damage to the nervous system identified through an MRI scan) could potentially be prescribed to several hundreds of people in Northern Ireland. When it was made available in England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Security needed to carry out its own assessment of the drug despite the fact that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has already passed it for use elsewhere. This assessment has now been delivered.
This drug is offered to those who are suffering repeated, disabling relapses, who have no alternatives.
ENDS
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT BARRY TURLEY OF ASITIS CONSULTING ON 02890 438677
OR 07734 256318