I’m supporting the MS Society’s campaign to challenge assumptions on Multiple Sclerosis during MS Awareness Week 2026 (20th-26th April).
The Charity are keen to highlight how MS affects everyone differently, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe, and often a huge variation in how these symptoms manifest themselves from day to day. Often the symptoms are invisible, affecting how people see, think, or feel; other times they can affect how people walk or move.
This neurological condition affects more than 150,000 in the UK, with 17,406 people in Scotland living with MS. Issues with accessing treatment, care, and financial support to manage the condition are reported by those living with MS as well as misconceptions in the public about the real-life impacts. Almost half of those surveyed by the MS Society report being questioned or challenged for using accessible facilities such as Blue Badge parking spaces, while 1 in 4 say that fear of judgement has prevented them from leaving the house or applying for a job.
In discussions with the MS Society, the theme that comes up constantly is the lack of understanding around this progressive condition, which, in many cases, eventually leads to severe disability and limited life. This is why I’m pleased to support the Charity’s work in raising awareness and challenging public misconceptions on MS where no two days can bring the same symptoms and challenges dealing with pain or exhaustion as well as the mental load can leave people feeling isolated and misunderstood.
It’s vital that the public and health care professionals are aware of the how MS manifests so differently in people. Nearly all the people surveyed by the MS Charity (95%) said that they experience at least one invisible symptom like fatigue, brain fog or pain and around half reporting that they were made to feel like their invisible symptoms weren’t real.
I want to ensure that any of my constituents in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East who are living with MS know that I stand with them and will continue to speak up about the challenges they face in Parliament and with my Scottish Government colleagues.
Photograph with Susannah Copson, Senior Public Affairs Officer at the MS Society UK.
