The MND Association said it was looking to complement the work of MND Scotland and other national counterparts after its members backed expansion north of the border.
The MND Association announced this week that its members voted in favour of the move at its annual general meeting and said it would start the process to register with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
It comes despite MND Scotland previously warning the expansion would “dismantle a successful partnership that has been built over 45 years on trust and mutual respect”.
In a statement, the MND Association cited differences in services available to people in the rest of the UK compared with Scotland as its reason for expanding.
“The belief that we can make a significant difference to people with MND in Scotland with the services and support we offer drove the decision to ask our members to vote on us becoming a UK-wide charity, complementing the work MND Scotland does by working in partnership, and consulting, with them and other charities,” the MND Association said.
“Alongside that we will work with our partners, stakeholders and the community in Scotland to listen to people’s needs and develop our plans for supporting people affected by MND there.”
A spokesperson for MND Scotland said this week the charity was looking forward to engaging constructively with the MND Association and learning more about its plans.
“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, for 45 years, we have been the only charity in Scotland providing direct, personalised support to the MND community tailored specifically to Scotland’s unique healthcare, social care and policy systems,” the spokesperson said.
“We are committed to ensuring that the community in Scotland is truly heard, represented and supported at every step.”