Optimising Employment in Multiple Sclerosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Preventing job loss for people with multiple sclerosis: Implementing vocational rehabilitation in the NHS
IRAS ID
315532
Contact name
Kathryn Radford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 17 days
Research summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic chronic neurological condition affecting young adults, and currently, affects over 130,000 people in the UK. People are usually diagnosed between 20 to 40 years of age, the prime working years of an adult.
The range of physical, cognitive, and psychological problems that people with MS can present increases the personal and professional challenges that people with MS experience. There is a direct relationship between years with MS and unemployment.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) aims to support those with illness or disability at work. Currently, there is limited evidence about the effectiveness of VR for people with MS.
We developed a job retention VR intervention to support people with MS to remain at work. The intervention addresses issues that people with MS experience at work. We tested this intervention in a community setting (e.g., outside a hospital) and it was feasible and acceptable to deliver the intervention.
This study aims to understand how our previously developed job retention VR intervention can be implemented within existing NHS services. To achieve this aim, we will refine the theory underpinning the intervention through stakeholder feedback and an extensive review of the literature. The resulting intervention will be tested as a multi-centre feasibility study (Nottingham University Hospital and Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). The data from the different studies will be combined to develop an implementation and adaptation plan to incorporate the intervention in other NHS settings.
We will recruit people with MS, healthcare professionals, employers (including Human Resources, line managers, Occupational Health professionals, etc), academics, NHS commissioners, members of charities, and the Department for Work and Pension.REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1030
Date of REC Opinion
4 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion