Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Register (SMSR)
Figures from January to December 2023

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information from the Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Register (SMSR) on all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) from January 2010 to December 2023.

Main points

• In 2023, 455 new patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MS were added to the SMSR. This brings the total number of patients newly diagnosed and reported over the 14-year period to 6,863

This is a line graph with year on the x-axis and percentage on the y-axis showing the percentage trend of patients in Scotland with a new diagnosis of MS contacted by a MS specialist nurse within 10 working days of confirmed diagnosis. This line chart depicts a consistent rise across the period with steep dip in 2012 (44.3%) and a gentle decline in 2022 (86.1%). 2023 compliance at 89% is the highest since the registry began.

Close

Percentage of patients with a new diagnosis of MS contacted by a MS specialist nurse within 10 working days of confirmed diagnosis

• In line with previous findings, the annual incidence shows twice as many females than males were diagnosed with MS.
• The proportion of newly diagnosed patients receiving contact from a MS specialist nurse within 10 working days of diagnosis increased from 86.1% in 2022 to 89% in 2023.

Background

The Scottish MS Register is a national register within the Scottish National Audit Programme at Public Health Scotland. The aim of the SMSR is to improve healthcare for people living with MS in Scotland. Establishing the incidence and interpreting the implications of its demography allows us to facilitate service evaluation and drive health improvement. The data on which this report is produced are provided by neurologists and MS clinical teams via a research electronic data collection system (REDCap) which incorporates the patient journey from referral to diagnosis, including referral to a MS specialist nurse.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be August 2025.