MS centres across Europe and the planned centre in Serbia — a comparison
A tour of the leading specialised MS centres in Europe (London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Basel, Vienna, Stockholm, Milan, Berlin) and what is planned for the first dedicated MS centre in Serbia — with a direct comparison of services, funding models and access to medicines, plus a look at the region: Croatia already has a national reference centre for demyelinating diseases (KBC Zagreb).
Why dedicated MS centres matter
I am writing this from a personal angle too: I have lived with MS for years, and I know how much a calm explanation matters. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach over decades — a neurologist, MS nurse, physiatrist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, urologist, psychologist, ophthalmologist and social worker. Specialised MS centres bring all of these together under one roof, with their own MRI protocols, infusion suite, patient registry and access to clinical trials. Studies show that patients followed in dedicated centres start high-efficacy DMTs earlier, have fewer hospitalisations and a better quality of life (Kobelt 2017, MS Brain Health 2019).
Leading MS centres in Europe — overview
Queen Square MS Centre, London (UK). Part of UCL Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. One of the largest and oldest centres in the world, with over 7,000 active patients ([UCLH Queen Square MS Centre](https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/our-services/find-service/neurology-and-neurosurgery/multiple-sclerosis-ms)), in-house 3T and 7T MRI protocols, a dedicated optic neuritis unit (Moorfields) and one of Europe's strongest clinical trial programmes (frexalimab, fenebrutinib and tolebrutinib have all gone through Queen Square). Footprint: the new UCL Institute of Neurology / UK DRI hub at 256 Grays Inn Road has about 17,450 m² of usable space, plus around 2,500 m² retained at Queen Square House — these house the MS clinics and research labs (the MS-unit-only floor area is not publicly disclosed). Source: [UCL ION/DRI FAQ](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/ion/ion-dri-programme/frequently-asked-questions). NHS-funded — free for patients, time to first appointment 4–8 weeks.
Amsterdam MS Center, VU University Medical Center (Netherlands). A pioneer in cortical lesion and progressive MS research ([MS Center Amsterdam](https://www.mscenteramsterdam.nl/en/)). Runs MS Center Amsterdam — a reference lab for MRI post-processing (volumetry, atrophy, grey matter lesions). Multidisciplinary day: in one visit a patient sees a neurologist, MS nurse, physiatrist and psychologist. Footprint: the centre operates as a distributed unit across 10+ departments on the VUmc campus — a stand-alone MS-centre floor area is not publicly disclosed. Covered by mandatory health insurance (Zorgverzekeringswet).
Cemcat — Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain). Led by Prof. Xavier Montalban, one of the authors of the McDonald 2017/2024 criteria. More than 9,000 active patients ([Cemcat](https://www.cem-cat.org/en)). Strong programmes for paediatric MS and radically early initiation of high-efficacy therapy. Footprint: 1,812 m² of a purpose-built MS-only building, opened January 2013 over three floors — the only centre in this overview with a publicly stated MS-unit floor area ([Cemcat — facilities](https://www.cem-cat.org/en/facilities), [VHIR press release](https://vhir.vallhebron.com/en/society/news/multiple-sclerosis-center-catalonia-opens-new-building)). Funded by the Catalan public health service (CatSalut).
MS Zentrum Universitätsspital Basel (Switzerland). A global centre for autologous stem cell transplant (aHSCT) in aggressive MS, led by Prof. Lutz Achtnichts and Jens Kuhle ([USB Neurology](https://www.unispital-basel.ch/en/clinics-institutes-services/clinics/neurology)). Runs the pioneering serum neurofilament (sNfL) programme as a biomarker of disease activity. Footprint: the MS centre was formally established in 2018 within the hospital; its dedicated floor area is not publicly disclosed. Expensive but covered by Swiss mandatory insurance (LAMal/KVG).
MS Klinik AKH Vienna (Austria). Led by Prof. Thomas Berger — the largest centre in Central Europe, strong in DMT escalation and the MS pregnancy programme ([MedUni Wien Neurology](https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/en/about-us/organisation/university-clinics-and-departments/department-of-neurology/)). Footprint: the MS clinic is part of the University Clinic of Neurology inside AKH Wien's main building; the MS-unit floor area is not publicly disclosed ([AKH bauprojekte](https://bauprojekte.akhwien.at/projekte/05-ambulanzen/)). Covered by the Austrian e-card system.
Karolinska MS Center, Stockholm (Sweden). Home of the Swedish MS Registry (SMSreg) — the largest and highest-quality MS registry in the world, with over 22,000 patients and 30 years of data ([Svenska MS-registret](https://www.neuroreg.se/en.html/the-quality-registries/the-swedish-ms-registry)). Result: Sweden was the first to use rituximab off-label as first-line therapy and has the lowest disability progression rate in Europe. Footprint: MS care is delivered through the Neuroinflammation unit at Karolinska Solna; a stand-alone MS-centre floor area is not publicly disclosed ([KNIMS](https://ki.se/en/cns/research/the-division-of-neuro/knims-the-karolinska-neuroimmunology-multiple-sclerosis-network)). Covered by the regional health system.
Centro Sclerosi Multipla, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan (Italy). Led by Prof. Massimo Filippi. Top-tier in MRI research (DTI, fMRI, spinal cord lesions), with over 4,500 patients ([San Raffaele Neurology](https://www.hsr.it/en/clinical-services/units/neurology)). Footprint: the MS centre is part of the Neurology Unit at IRCCS San Raffaele; its dedicated floor area is not publicly disclosed (a frequently cited 40,000 m² refers to the new "Iceberg" surgery & emergency wing, not to MS — [HSR centro sclerosi multipla](https://www.hsr.it/strutture/ospedale-san-raffaele/centro-sclerosi-multipla)). The Italian SSN covers everything, with regional differences in access to new drugs.
NeuroCure Charité MS Center, Berlin (Germany). Led by Prof. Friedemann Paul — a global centre for NMOSD and MOGAD (MS spectrum disorders), the reference for apheresis in severe relapses ([NeuroCure Charité](https://www.neurocure.de/en/clinical-center/clinical-research/multiple-sclerosis.html)). Footprint: hosted in the CharitéCrossOver (CCO) research building, ~13,600 m², opened in 2012, which houses the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence — MS is one of several research themes (the MS-only floor area is not published). Source: [NeuroCure — new building](https://neurocure.de/about-us/new-research-building-kopie.html). Covered by German statutory insurance (GKV).
What all of these centres share
- A multidisciplinary team under one roof (neurologist, MS nurse, physiatrist, urologist, psychologist, social worker).
- A dedicated MRI protocol standardised by MAGNIMS guidelines (Wattjes 2021), with brain volume quantification.
- Access to clinical trials (frexalimab, tolebrutinib, fenebrutinib, BTK inhibitors, next-generation anti-CD20).
- Active participation in registries (MSBase, EUReMS, national registries) — which directly informs treatment guidelines.
- An MS nurse as the first point of contact — answering questions, coordinating infusions, monitoring side effects.
- Early escalation to high-efficacy DMTs (ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, natalizumab, cladribine) for most newly diagnosed patients.
Where Serbia stands today
In Serbia about 13,000+ people live with MS (regional estimate; see also the [MS International Federation — Atlas of MS](https://www.atlasofms.org/map/serbia/epidemiology/number-of-people-with-ms) and [MS Society of Serbia](https://www.drustvoms.org/)). Care is currently fragmented: patients are followed at the Clinic for Neurology UKC Serbia (Belgrade), UKC Vojvodina (Novi Sad), UKC Niš and UKC Kragujevac, plus smaller centres in Kragujevac, Užice and Subotica. Detailed overview: [MS clinics in Serbia](/en/blog/klinike-multipla-skleroza-srbija-drzavne-privatne-rehabilitacija). While individual neurologists are excellent and follow European guidelines, there is no single purpose-built MS centre where a patient can see a neurologist, MS nurse, physiatrist, urologist and psychologist in one day. Infusions are given in general day hospitals. Access to new drugs goes through an RFZO procedure with administrative steps — see [MS medicines and the RFZO prescription](/en/blog/lekovi-za-ms-srbija-rfzo-recept).
Data note: Prevalence figures for MS in Serbia are estimates based on available clinic records and regional data (cross-referenced against the [MSIF Atlas of MS](https://www.atlasofms.org/map/serbia/epidemiology/number-of-people-with-ms) and the [EMSP country profile for Serbia](https://emsp.org/about-ms/ms-in-europe/)). They will be updated when verified epidemiological sources become available.
The region is not empty: Croatia already has a national MS centre
Public statements sometimes suggest Serbia will be the first country in the region with a specialised MS centre. That is simply not true — and it matters that patients know it before a plan turns into a political story. Croatia already has a national centre for multiple sclerosis: in 2024, the Croatian Ministry of Health officially designated the Department of Neurology at University Hospital Centre Zagreb (Rebro) as the "Reference Centre for demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system" — for a five-year term, by a decision published in the official gazette ([Narodne novine 62/2024](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2024_05_62_1059.html)).
Within that clinic operates the Department of Neuroimmunology of the Central Nervous System, led by Prof. Marija Bošnjak Pašić, a neuroimmunology subspecialist. The department keeps its own database of patients with MS and other demyelinating diseases, provides regular clinical follow-up and runs a day hospital for infusions ([KBC Zagreb — Department of Neuroimmunology](https://www.kbc-zagreb.hr/odjel-za-neuroimunologiju-sredisnjeg-zivcanog-sustava-nrl-6.aspx)). More than 7,000 people live with MS in Croatia, and another Zagreb hospital, KBC Sestre Milosrdnice, holds a national reference status for neuroimmunology and neurogenetics ([Croatian Ministry of Health](https://zdravstvo.gov.hr/referentni-centri/neurologija/6835)).
To be precise: the Croatian centre is not a purpose-built facility like Cemcat in Barcelona either, and Croatian patient organisations (MS Tim Hrvatska) are still campaigning for a fully dedicated centre. But the key fact stands: Croatia has an officially designated national reference centre for demyelinating diseases, with named leadership, a patient database and an infusion day hospital. Serbia still has to go through that stage. The honest sentence, then, reads: Serbia is not leading the region — it is catching up with it.
What is planned — Serbia's first dedicated MS centre
An initiative by MS Platforma Serbia, backed by EMSP (European MS Platform) and in dialogue with the Ministry of Health, is moving toward establishing the first dedicated MS centre in Belgrade in the coming years. The planned profile:
- Location and footprint: within the new building of UKC Serbia in Belgrade, with a dedicated space of "more than 200 m²" according to the official announcement of the MS Society of Serbia in May 2026 ([Blic](https://www.blic.rs/zdravlje/aktuelnosti/novi-centar-za-multiplu-sklerozu-i-srodne-bolesti-od-septembra-u-ukcs/46j4cpq), [Danas](https://www.danas.rs/zivot/srbija-dobija-centar-za-multiplu-sklerozu/), [N1](https://n1info.rs/magazin/zdravlje/srbija-dobija-centar-za-multiplu-sklerozu-i-srodne-bolesti/)). Opening is planned for September 2026.
- Multidisciplinary team: 4–6 MS subspecialist neurologists, 3–4 MS nurses, a physiatrist, urologist, psychologist, occupational therapist, dietician and social worker.
- A dedicated 3T MRI with an MS protocol standardised by MAGNIMS guidelines and atrophy quantification.
- An infusion suite with 8–12 chairs for ocrelizumab, natalizumab and future biologics.
- A patient registry compatible with MSBase and EUReMS — a prerequisite for joining international studies.
- An education and research hub for students, neurology trainees and patient organisations.
- A tele-MS module to follow patients from across Serbia and the wider region (Republika Srpska, Montenegro, North Macedonia).
The financial model is being worked out: a combination of RFZO funds, donations (including EMSP and international foundations) and potential public-private partnership. MS Platforma is announcing a regional conference in autumn 2026 where a detailed plan and timeline will be presented. More on the platform's work: [World MS Day 2026 in Serbia](/en/blog/svetski-dan-ms-2026-srbija-ms-platforma).
Direct comparison: Europe vs Serbia (now and planned)
Number of dedicated MS centres. UK: 70+; Germany: 60+; Italy: 230 (network); Netherlands: 14; Sweden: 10; Croatia: 1 national reference centre for demyelinating diseases (KBC Zagreb, since 2024); Serbia: 0 today — 1 planned.
Patients per centre. Queen Square London: 7,000; Cemcat Barcelona: 9,000; Amsterdam: 5,000. Planned Belgrade centre: target ~4,000–5,000 (most complex cases and newly diagnosed from across the country, others remain in the UKC network).
Time from symptoms to diagnosis. Netherlands and Sweden: 3–6 months. UK and Germany: 6–12 months. Serbia: often 12–24 months, with a goal of getting under 6 months once the dedicated centre is open.
Access to high-efficacy DMTs. Sweden and Netherlands: first-line for most RRMS patients. Germany and UK: second line after escalation. Serbia: second line, with an RFZO administrative process; the planned centre would enable faster escalation.
Clinical trials. Queen Square, Amsterdam, Cemcat, Basel: 20–40 active studies. Serbia today: access through a handful of sponsored multicentre studies (see [Clinical trials in Serbia](/en/blog/klinicke-studije-multipla-skleroza-srbija)); the planned centre would roughly double that.
Funding. All of the above European countries: public health covers 100% (with different supplementary insurance models). Serbia: RFZO covers DMTs; patients often pay for rehabilitation and additional diagnostics.
MS nurse. Standard in all listed countries, 1 nurse per 250–500 patients. In Serbia the MS nurse role does not formally exist as a distinct profile — that is one of the key planned innovations of the Serbian centre.
Dedicated floor area. Cemcat Barcelona: 1,812 m² of a stand-alone MS-only building (the only centre with a publicly stated MS footprint). Queen Square London: shared inside the new UCL IoN/DRI hub of ~17,450 m². NeuroCure Charité Berlin: shared inside the ~13,600 m² CCO building. Amsterdam, Basel, Vienna, Stockholm and Milan: stand-alone MS floor area not publicly disclosed (they operate as clinics inside larger university hospitals). Serbia: "more than 200 m²" of dedicated space planned at UKC Serbia from September 2026.
What Serbia can learn from others
From Sweden: the registry is the strongest tool. Without a high-quality patient registry there is no data, and without data there is no negotiating power with pharma and no evidence-based policy.
From the Netherlands: the "MS day" — a patient completes all visits in one place in a single day. Saves months of waiting and reduces the burden on patients travelling from outside the capital.
From the UK: the MS nurse is the anchor of the whole system. A telephone helpline staffed by MS nurses resolves 60–70% of questions that would otherwise become neurology appointments.
From Basel: biomarkers (sNfL) are already changing how treatment decisions are made. A centre that does not adopt them early will fall behind.
From Croatia: an official national reference status can be granted inside an existing clinic — no new building required. The Croatian Ministry of Health designated KBC Zagreb by a published decision with a five-year mandate; that is a model Serbia could copy immediately.
From Karolinska: long-term commitment to one model (rituximab) plus transparent data can change global practice.
What patients in Serbia can do today
- Keep a symptom diary — at every visit bring a short note about relapses, side effects and quality of life. It helps the neurologist decide faster.
- Ask for a written report from every MRI — with the CD/DVD if possible. The centre that takes over your case needs the full history.
- Consider a second opinion at another UKC centre if your therapy has not been changed in years and you still have active lesions or EDSS progression.
- Get involved with MS Platforma Serbia — the bigger the community, the louder the call for a dedicated centre.
- Follow clinical trials running in Serbia (see [Clinical trials](/en/blog/klinicke-studije-multipla-skleroza-srbija)). Joining a study often means accessing a therapy 2–3 years before it reaches the market.
The European map of MS centres shows what is possible when a health system takes a chronic neurological disease seriously: early diagnosis, a multidisciplinary team, an in-house MRI, a registry and research under one roof. And looking at the region — Croatia already has an official national centre for demyelinating diseases at KBC Zagreb — it is clear that Serbia is not entering empty ground, but a race in which its neighbours already have a head start. The planned first dedicated MS centre in Belgrade can leapfrog generations of development if it is set up on best practice (Stockholm + Amsterdam + London) and if from day one it has a registry, MS nurses and clinical trial access. This is not a question of years, but of political decision and responsible funding. Patients and patient organisations have a key role to push the plan forward and not let it be diluted — and to make sure progress is measured against facts, not announcements.
Sources
Kobelt G, et al. New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe. Mult Scler. 2017: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28273775/. MS Brain Health — Time Matters in MS (2019): https://www.msbrainhealth.org/. MAGNIMS / Wattjes MP, et al. 2021 MAGNIMS-CMSC-NAIMS consensus on MRI in MS. Lancet Neurol. 2021: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34139157/. Queen Square MS Centre, UCL: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/queen-square-multiple-sclerosis-centre. Amsterdam MS Center: https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-neuroscience/research/multiple-sclerosis-center-amsterdam.htm. Cemcat Barcelona: https://www.cem-cat.org/. Karolinska MS Center & SMSreg: https://www.neuro.ki.se/. Narodne novine RH, NN 62/2024 — decision designating the Reference Centre for demyelinating diseases (KBC Zagreb): https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2024_05_62_1059.html. KBC Zagreb — Department of Neuroimmunology of the CNS: https://www.kbc-zagreb.hr/odjel-za-neuroimunologiju-sredisnjeg-zivcanog-sustava-nrl-6.aspx. Croatian Ministry of Health — reference centres, neurology: https://zdravstvo.gov.hr/referentni-centri/neurologija/6835. EMSP — European MS Platform: https://emsp.org/. MS Platforma Serbia — public statements 2025–2026. MS Society of Serbia — annual report 2025. This article is informational and does not replace medical advice from your neurologist.