To ask the Minister of Health to detail any action he is taking to ensure all newly-diagnosed multiple sclerosis patients receive a baseline MRI scan.

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 for the service, which sets out the requirements for delivering a multi-disciplinary service consistently across the region.

Work has taken place with clinical teams in each Trust to develop guidelines for referral of people with suspected MS. These guidelines are available on the electronic referral system utilised by General Practice to refer into the hospital-based neurology teams. The information included as part of a referral allows the clinical teams undertaking the triage to consider patient need and allocate people to the relevant clinic.

Referrals for patients with suspected MS will be from General Practice to a consultant neurologist or via consultant to consultant referrals. Before making a referral to a consultant neurologist for a patient with suspected MS, alternative diagnoses should be excluded by performing relevant blood tests.

A consultant neurologist will make a diagnosis of MS on the basis of established criteria, such at the revised 2010 McDonald criteria. These criteria include the requirement for an MRI scan to inform the diagnosis, so a baseline scan will normally be available as part of the process to confirm a patient diagnosis.