To ask the Minister of Health for an update on how his Department is supporting those living with multiple sclerosis.

Services for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are provided as part of wider Neurology services in each Trust area. There has been detailed engagement with the clinical teams in each Trust over the past number of years with a view to improving the care and treatment available for people with this condition. As part of this engagement, a Service Specification was developed, consistent with NICE Clinical Guidelines, which sets out the requirements for delivering a multi-disciplinary service consistently across the region.

The priorities that were identified from the Service Specification were for all Trusts to have dedicated clinics for people with MS, for each Trust to have dedicated MS nursing staff and for the capacity to be available in each Trust to allow infusion delivered disease modifying treatments (DMTs) to be available locally.

Investments were made over a number of years and each of these priority objectives have been achieved. Colleagues from DoH work closely with HSC Trusts each year to consider the requirements associated with the increasing number of people with MS who are on DMTs. Over £20m is invested across the region in supporting the provision of approved drug treatments to eligible patients.

When I published the HSC Reset Plan in July 2025, the commitments in the plan were to

Stabilise the HSC system,

Drive forward our system Reform, and

Increase and improve how we Deliver our services

Whilst not specifically referred to in the plan, I acknowledge that the current new and review waiting times for neurology and wider support services are lengthy and growing for adults across Northern Ireland. This situation has arisen due to several factors, including funding that falls short of objectively assessed need and previous missed opportunities to reform health and social care delivery. I am committed as part of the process to reset services, to addressing this, subject to available funding.

As part of a process to consider the wider pressures on neurology services, the Department commissioned a Regional Review of Neurology Services. The review was tasked with considering the optimum service configuration for neurology services for the next 10-15 years. The final report of the Neurology Review was published as part of a consultation exercise in May 2025.

A series of consultation events were held over the summer months and the Review Team are now in the process of considering the input received from the consultation events and from responses received on the report before considering next steps. Progress on taking forward the agreed priorities set out in the report will be subject to available funding.