Election 2022: Multiple sclerosis nurse boost to ‘save millions’

Advocates for disabled Australians needing specialist care are calling out for more federal funding to increase the number of nurses.

The report, MS Nurse Care in Australia, focuses on the 25,600 people with multiple sclerosis across the country and found 8000 of them did not have access to MS nurse care.

Advocates for disabled Australians needing specialist care are calling out for more federal funding to increase the number of nurses, with a landmark report two years in the making revealing the investment could save millions of dollars.

The report, MS Nurse Care in Australia, focuses on the 25,600 people with multiple sclerosis across the country and found 8000 of them did not have access to MS nurse care.

MS nurses provide tailored care for people with the neurological disease, which often means they do not need to go to their doctors, specialists or hospitals for treatment.

However, the number of MS nurses has steadily declined over recent years, with just 90 active nurses across the country left to support an average of 284 ­patients each.

And with staffing of aged-care facilities taking centre stage ahead of the election, advocates have stressed the need for workforce challenges in other sectors, like disability, not to be overlooked.

Labor has committed $2.5bn to aged care, which would ensure registered nurses were on site at care facilities 24 hours a day. But opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said on Monday Labor may have to “pause” the plan due to a lack of registered nurses.

MS Australia chief executive Rohan Greenland told The Australian it was “doable” to increase nurses for people with MS as well as for those in aged care.

“The economic case is strong, it’s not a big ask,” Mr Greenland said. “We’re keen to work with the next minister and next ­government to improve ­access to nurses.”

The report found that with just $5m in funding, more than $60m would be potentially saved in ­annual MS care costs.

MS Nurses Australasia outgoing president and co-author of the report Belinda Bardsley said making MS nurses more widely available would be life-changing for thousands of Australians.

“MS nurses are there from the time of diagnosis throughout the course of the disease to provide expert care and support for our patients,” she said. “The difference it will make to the health budget is significant.”

Ms Bardsley said an increase of just 50 nurses would dramatically change the level of care ­received by people with the disease – the most commonly ­acquired neurological disease of young adults in Australia, with ­diagnosis occurring typically ­between 20 and 40 years of age.

Tasmanian-based MS advocate Lynda Hanlon, 56, who has lived with MS for 15 years, said the availability of a nurse had stopped her needing to access healthcare services as often.

“I’ve avoided hospital on occasions I’ve had a relapse and that in itself also helped my mental health,” she said.

“I really feel so fortunate. It’s good to know somebody is there beside me all the way. My disease progression has slowed down quite a lot because of it.”