The first drug to help people with multiple sclerosis walk is now available on the NHS in England, marking a rare moment where cost-effectiveness arguments lost to basic human dignity.

Fampridine, a 'signal booster' that helps damaged nerve cells still transmit electrical messages, can improve walking speed and endurance. Clinical trials showed about four in 10 patients saw benefits - enough to turn a shuffle into a stroll, or to make a trip to the shops feel less like an expedition.

Up to 5,000 people in England could benefit each year, which seems modest until you realize that's 5,000 people who might no longer have to choose between a walking stick and staying home. The drug was already available in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, meaning England is fashionably late to the party.

Aysen Slack, 65, from Eastbourne, knows the struggle intimately. She paid for fampridine privately until the 'significant expense' became unsustainable. 'My mobility has decreased a lot and even in my flat I have to use sticks now,' she said. 'It would make a huge difference to my life if I were able to improve my walking.'

Patients will try the drug for a month, and only those showing 'clear benefit' get to continue - a sensible approach that ensures the NHS doesn't waste money on people who don't respond. More than 120,000 people live with MS in England, but only those with walking difficulties severe enough to qualify will be eligible.

Prof Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director, called the pill 'life-changing,' which is medical-speak for 'we finally listened to the evidence.' Ceri Smith from the MS Society was 'delighted,' which is charity-speak for 'it's about bloody time.'