Our new approach will help us reach more people affected by MS, wherever they live in the UK, and support them to access the short breaks and respite care they want.

Why are you taking a 'new approach'?

The results of the respite care review showed that we need a more equitable approach to respite care that reflects personal choice and individual circumstances.

• In 2008-9 we could only help 1,385 people with MS at our four respite centres, despite the fact that we estimate around 30,000 people need respite.
  
  
• There is currently a 'postcode lottery' for respite care, often depending on whether you live close to a centre. For example, during 2008-9, no one from Northern Ireland and just four people from Wales used the MS Society's centres.
  
  
• Currently, thousands of people with MS and carers, including those with very complex needs, receive no support from the MS Society to get the respite they need.
  
  
• The MS Society spends on average £540 per person for every week they stay at one of our centres. Most people visit more than once a year, some up to twelve times. By comparison, the Society gives only £300 per person (up to £800 per family) for a holiday grant once every three years.

Our new approach will support many thousands more people with MS, wherever they live and whatever their needs.  

What does the new approach mean for the MS Society's respite centres?

The MS Society will no longer directly provide residential respite care. To date, more than 25 organisations have expressed interest in taking on one or more of the centres.

Read more  

How was this decision made?

Find out more about the year-long respite care review. 

Working in partnerships

Over the last few months we have talked about the support we have received from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care for our new approach to individualised services.

Their support has been misconstrued as support for our decision to transfer our current care centres to another provider, or close them. We would like to clarify that both these organisations were not involved in the consultative process for our respite care review, and had no influence on our new strategy for respite and short breaks. These decisions were made by the MS Society’s Board of Trustees, based on the outcomes of the consultation and review.

However, we are pleased that The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care are keen to work with us to consider our plans for the future in meeting the diverse needs of carers and their families.

We can’t do this work alone, and working in partnership with other organisations will be vital to ensure we can help many thousands more people with MS and carers to get the short breaks they need.  

Contact us

If you have any questions about the review or your respite care services, please get in touch using the details below.

Phone our Helpline on 0808 800 8000

Email respitecare@mssociety.org.uk

Write to us at:
Care Services
MS Society
372 Edgware Road
NW2 6ND
London