BrAMS CLINICAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE
The BRAMS clinical centre (the first of it’s kind in the UK) was officially opened on the Frenchay site in Dec 2008 and is now fully operational. The refurbishment and equipping of the previous glial cell laboratories was funded entirely by donations and grants awarded to the charity BRAMS. The majority of the funding raised was via grants awarded from pharmaceutical companies. In addition generous contributions have been received from the MSRTE (MS Research, Training and Education), local branches of the MS society, local grant giving trusts as well as from individuals with MS and their families.
The fundraising now led by Mr Shaun McCarthy continues to help fund several of the members of the research staff within the new unit and in addition is attempting to raise funds for some of the exciting laboratory and clinical research being carried out in Bristol (see research page and below).
The new unit comprises of a patient waiting area, secretarial offices, five out-patient consulting rooms, storage facilities, a small laboratory and office for MSRTE and an intravenous treatment suite.
North Bristol NHS Trust has kindly provided a part-time receptionist (Hannah Nelson).
The creation of this unit was envisaged to serve two main purposes.
1. Improve MS patient care
2. Facilitate clinical research
Prior to the establishment of this new facility the MS team and treatment for MS patients was constrained by the limited neuroscience facilities on the Frenchay site.
The new unit has allowed a significant expansion of the MS team with the creation of two new MS nurse posts, including a senior MS / research nurse and a clinical trials co-ordinator (Jenny Homewood). In addition funding has recently been for a three year senior part-time MS physiotherapist to work within the unit.
The unit already runs many MS specialist clinic services including
- 15 MS nurse lead clinics per week, including disease modifying treatment (DMT) clinics and bladder assessment clinics (including post-micturition bladder ultra-sound scans).
- MS Clinical Associate (Dr Janice Burrows) runs four clinics per week including DMT assessment clinics, relapse clinic and an EDSS research clinic.
- MS specialist consultant clinics
- Prof Scolding weekly neuro-inflammatory clinic
- Dr Cottrell twice weekly MS clinics, including relapse clinic
- Twice weekly registrar MS clinics supervised by Prof Scolding and Dr Cottrell
- Weekly clinical trial research clinic run by Dr Cottrell and Dr Bennetto
- Dr Wilkins monthly MS clinic.
- Dr Graham (consultant in neuro-rehabiliatation) monthly clinic including BOTOX facility for MS patients with severe spasticity
- Dr Drake (consultant urologist) monthly MS urology service
The new intravenous suite has allowed rapid access to daycase IV steroids (often used to treat patients in times of relapse or those with severe spasticity). Additionally the suite allows for the monthly day case infusions for the new intravenous therapy Natalizumab (Tysabri), used under NICE guidelines for those with frequently relapsing MS.
The intravenous suite is also being used to administer IV trial therapies for promising new agents in relapsing remitting MS.
Our MS nurses under the lead of Denise Owen (senior MS / research nurse) offer a contact helpline and relapse clinic telephone service. Patients are triaged by our nurses to either one of our relapse clinics or daily MS nurse led clinics.
The unit also provides a considerable resource of written information for patients, their carers and families.
The long-term aim is to provide all encompassing multi-disciplinary evidence-based MS treatment centre for our patients.
Both Prof Scolding and Dr Cottrell, acting as local principal investigators are participating in promising randomised clinical and natural history trials (PPMS) within the new clinical unit. Now that we have additional space, dedicated MS trials co-ordinator and research nurse we are working on expanding this area of much needed research.
An MS database for patient’s interested in potential trials has been established. The database allows identification of potentially suitable patients for such studies. These studies often require strict “inclusion and exclusion criteria” which means that unfortunately not all patients will be eligible.
To access any of these services, (if not already known to the unit) we require a letter of referral from your GP.
Please note we are unable to provide non-evidence based therapies such as hyper-baric oxygen, acupuncture, homeopathic or herbal remedies. |
