UHP specialist nurse helps people living with multiple sclerosis in Plymouth
Last year, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) appointed an additional nurse to support people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Plymouth, thanks to funding from the MS Trust.
Blessing Oluwasanmi was appointed as a MS Nurse at UHP just over 18 months ago in April 2023. The role was funded by the Specialist Nurse Programme, which is run by the MS Trust and aims to ensure that everyone with MS in the UK has access to an MS health professional. Throughout her time at UHP, Blessing has been able to support patients and colleagues, providing specialist care for MS patients across the southwest.
Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord and there are over 2,000 patients living with multiple sclerosis in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. The condition can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including eyesight problems, fatigue, issues with balance, altered sensations and cognitive issues, and while there is a wide range of disease modifying therapies available, there is currently no cure.
When starting her role in 2023, Blessing Oluwasanmi said: “I developed interest in MS while I was a Band 5 registered nurse on an orthopaedic ward. I was opportune to nurse a couple of patients who had MS and when I saw this role advertised on the hospital's website, I knew that I wanted to be an MS Nurse. I am looking forward to learning more about this disease, delivering the best standard of nursing care to people living with MS and making a difference to the MS Specialist Service in Plymouth."
Thanks to support from her colleagues at UHP and the MS Trust, who provided mentorship and training via a conference and a 3-month foundation module providing a foundation of knowledge for MS care, Blessing has been able to grow her skills during her time in the role. Reflecting on her journey she so far, she said: "It has been an exciting journey for me over the past year. I work with a fantastic team, and I am grateful for this. As a Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse, I am glad that I could make a positive impact on the care experiences of people living with MS. I am passionate about what I do, and I intend to continue to deliver the best care possible to my patients."
Speaking about the impact Blessing’s role has had, Alisha Lamble, MS Specialist Nurse at UHP, said: “The collaborative way in which Blessing’s role works has improved patient care and the service provided. This is because Blessing can do infusions and give the patients time to escalate any concerns which they may have to her so she can give advice. This likely reduces the number of calls and emails we get making it more manageable for the rest of the team.
“Patients have reported to myself and to my colleagues how grateful they have been for Blessing’s support and have all remarked on her caring manner she approaches them with.”
Speaking about their experiences with Blessing, one patient named Stephen said: “From the day I met Blessing she has been friendly, welcoming, professional, and made me feel at ease.
“Blessing has been my MS Nurse for over a year now and she has made lots of things happen for me that I found very difficult at my prior hospital. I can rely on Blessing to reply to my emails if I have a worry or concern over my MS symptoms or if I need her to contact the Neurologist with a question, which is a great comfort to me.
“Blessing was the first person to notice that the amount of energy I was using to walk when my mobility issues left me with no energy to do anything else. So, she made a referral, and a wheelchair was supplied for me. The wheelchair has made such a great difference, getting me out and about, enjoying life, enjoying my family and grandchildren once again.”
Another patient, Jess, also commented about Blessing’s impact going above and beyond, saying: "Blessing was incredible during my treatment. She recognised instantly that my blood sugars were through the roof, leading to a diagnosis of diabetes from the Diabetes nurses based at Estover. After a lot of toing and froing with my GP this past year and a bit, it was lovely to finally get a definitive answer.”
“Thanks to Blessing this could be the start of a new lifestyle for me and a much healthier body and mind which will hopefully help with Multiple Sclerosis, also. During the treatment itself Blessing was very attentive and was always making sure I was ok. I hope to have Blessing administering my treatment in the future as I feel comfortable in her very capable hands."
To find out more about the Neurology service at UHP visit www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/neurology/ or for further information about the work of the MS Trust visit www.mstrust.org.uk.
