Project Name: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Capacity redesign

Project Summary:

The collaborative working project (CWP) is a proof of concept with the aim to redesign the CW Partner’s multiple sclerosis (MS) service with the addition of an MS disease modifying therapy (DMT) coordinator based at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. The MS DMT Coordinator will support the management, monitoring and onward referral of MS patients on DMTs. This will address the capacity issues being experienced by the CW Partner, help to tackle the backlog of patients, and address the risk of delays in starting and switching treatments.

Planned Milestones:

  • CW Partner & Novartis. Project kick off meeting and set up of subsequent quarterly reviews
  • CW Partner. Recruitment of MS DMT coordinator and baseline measurements submitted. Define roles and responsibilities of MS DMT coordinator.
  • CW Partner. 3-month data collection. CW Partner & Novartis. Project review meeting.
  • CW Partner. 6 month data collection. CW Partner & Novartis. Project review meeting
  • CW Partner. 9 month data Collection. CW Partner & Novartis. Project review meeting.
  • CW Partner. 12 month data collection. CW Partner & Novartis. Project review meeting.
  • CW Partner. Business case written & submitted.
  • CW Partner. Project Outcomes Summary completed.
  • CW Partner & Novartis. Project wrap up meeting.

Expected Benefits:

Anticipated benefits for patients:

  • Improved patient outcomes due to faster time from referral to treatment time.
  • Improved access to appropriate recommended therapies.
  • Enhanced patient experience of the NHS MS service by reducing unnecessary waiting times.

Anticipated benefits for the organisations:

  • Improved quality of care.
  • Reduction in patient waiting lists.
  • Improved MDT efficiency and outcomes.
  • Improved experience of staff by spreading workload.

Anticipated benefits for Novartis:

  • Learnings relating to the involvement of MS DMT coordinator at MDTs.
  • Better understanding of overall customers’ and patients’ needs.
  • Optimal use of medicines (including Novartis medicines) in appropriate patients.

Start Date & Duration: December 2024, unless terminated early in accordance with its terms shall subsist until completion of the Project or September 2026, whichever first occurs.

FA-11334668 | January 2025

Project Name: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Capacity Redesign

Organisation(s): Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHT), Acre St, Lindley, Huddersfield HD3 3EA (the “CW Partner”)

Completion Date: June 2026

Outcome Data: 

This project improved the CW Partner’s MS Service clinic capacity by 330 additional patient appointments.

Key Project Outcomes Data: 

The collaborative working project (CWP) was a proof of concept with the aim to redesign the CW Partner’s multiple sclerosis (MS) service with the addition of an MS Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT) Coordinator based at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. The MS DMT Coordinator supported the management, monitoring and onward referral of MS patients on DMTs. 

This addressed the capacity issues experienced by the CW Partner and helped to tackle the backlog of patients and address the risk of delays in starting and switching treatments. Key measures of success noted from the project.

  1. Average time from multidisciplinary team (MDT) decision to treat to implementation of treatment baseline 8 weeks to an average 4 weeks at end of project. 
  2. Consistent number of patients seen in clinic per month, compared to baseline. The project created an additional 330 patient clinic appointments during the 12-month project duration.

Outcomes: 

Benefits for patients:

  • Improved patient outcomes due to faster time from referral to treatment time, reducing from a baseline of 8 weeks to an end of project measure of 4 weeks.

Benefits for the organisation:

  • Reduction in patient waiting lists, by the increase of 330 patient clinics.
  • Improved MDT efficiency and outcomes, reducing from a baseline of 8 weeks to an end of project measure of 4 weeks.
  • Improved experience of staff by spreading workload.

Anticipated benefits for Novartis:

  • Optimal use of medicines in appropriate patients.

Quote from Partner: 

This collaborative working project provided support for the Calderdale and Huddersfield MS clinical team to deliver disease modifying treatment (DMT) to people with MS who were eligible in a time and organised manner. The project allowed a member of the neurology administration team to dedicate part of their role to streamline referrals of newly diagnosed patients to the DMT MDT for treatment discussion and approval. The outcomes produced by the project has been presented to the CHT management team for the clinical service unit which includes Neurology and led to the deployment of a permanent member of staff dedicating part of their role to maintain this pathway moving forward.

Concusion: 

The CW Partner will continue with the project role post project by reorganising the workforce within the neurology nursing team and the wider divisional secretarial team to ensure continuity of the coordinator post. This reorganisation has enabled a better use of existing resource commencing May 2026.

FA-11733834 | July 2026