and in other news from the real world

The MS Society has launched a new campaign in order to highlight the differences in care provision throughout the UK.

As part of what they're calling the MS Lottery, their figures state: 

• 6 out of 10 eligible people with MS are not taking treatments that could reduce relapses and slow progression – and this figure varies significantly across the UK, rising to 7 in 10 people in Wales

• Only a quarter of unemployed people with MS who need support to find paid employment are able to get it
• Only a third of those who are really struggling financially get sufficient emotional support, compared to nearly three quarters of those who are really comfortable.

This is clearly a terribly unfair situation. I knew I was lucky to live so near to one of England's centres of MS research (in Nottingham), where there is also a fantastic team of MS Nurses.

But I didn't realise I was part of the lucky 40% of people with MS. And that's shocking.

To this end the MS Society is calling for people with MS to have fair access to the treatments and services they need, when they need them, wherever they live.

Join the campaign as part of MS Awareness Week here.