The Western Health and Social Care Trust has apologised after axing a telephone helpline for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
The Trust said the telephone service is currently closed due to “staffing challenges” and are actively trying to recruit new staff.
Stewart Finn of the MS Society said the loss of the helpline will be “scary and frustrating” for people living with the condition.
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme, Mr Finn said: “MS can fluctuate and you need that specialist help on hand.
“When it’s not available, it’s going to be scary and frustrating for people.”
The Western Trust said in a statement: “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The Trust added that anyone requiring advice should make efforts to contact their GP.
Mr Finn said the progressive nature of MS means a relationship built up over many years between patients and nurses can help as the condition and its symptoms change.
It’s as vital a service, he added, to someone who is newly diagnosed as much as it is to someone who has lived with MS for many years.
“It’s an ongoing relationship, an ongoing service people really value,” he said.
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