Leading neurologists, MS specialist therapists and nurses shared their knowledge and information on UK research, care and treatment with around 1,500 health care professionals and people affected by MS and have returned with exciting research opportunities.

It is thought nearly 50,000 people are affected by MS in India and there is little access to information about the condition, limited access to specialist health care professionals and a lack of symptom management knowledge.

During the two-week trip, the members of the MS Society Professional Network visited Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi to encourage greater international understanding of MS between British and Indian communities.

They promoted self management, rehabilitation and the multi-disciplinary approach as a method of managing MS at a number of training events and demand for more knowledge of the condition.

Reflecting on the visit, Caron Furnival, Head of Service Development at the MS Society in the UK, said: “We felt we had only just scratched the surface and there was much more work to be done.

“This was borne out when we arrived at the training venue in Delhi and people were being turned away from the day, as there wasn’t even standing room available.

“All of us felt that there was huge interest about what we were doing and a thirst for knowledge amongst the MS population in India.”

Caron was joined on the trip by Jane Petty, National Physiotherapy Lead and Alison Handford, Research Manager at the MS Society.

Consultant Neurologists Alasdair Coles from Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and Eli Silber from King’s College London also attended alongside Clinical Psychologist Anita Rose from The Walton Centre - the UK’s only neuroscience NHS Trust, based in Liverpool.

Denise Middleton, MS Occupational Therapist was accompanied by Adrienne Cox, MS Specialist Nurse and Carrie Brown, MS Lead Nurse for Healthcare at Home, sponsors of the trip.

Carrie said: “We learnt a huge amount from the MS Society India, people affected by MS and the professionals in all the places we visited.

“In particular, we learnt of the importance of family support and how a much deeper spirituality seemed a common way for many people to deal with a disease when there is limited medical help.”