Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Government responsibility for delivering brain cancer research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

We are committed to furthering our investment in brain cancer research and have already taken steps to stimulate scientific progress and build scientific capacity to do research on brain cancer.

As announced in the National Cancer Plan, investment in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, co-funding of the Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence, and other direct programmatic spend through NIHR funding streams totals a combined investment of £32.3 million since July 2024, and a total of £45.2 million since 2018, all of which is designed to accelerate brain cancer research.

The total investment in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium is over £25 million over the course of the awards. This includes an initial £13.7 million investment announced in December 2025, which has been fully contracted. In January 2026, the NIHR announced further investment of a minimum of £11.7 million in the Consortium through funding of work packages. For all work packages, contracting and further payments are contingent upon teams submitting and reviewing detailed costs and, if applicable, agreeing to the suggested amendments and requests for clarification which are currently in progress.

The NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, such as research centres, which run studies, facilities, and services, and the research workforce, leverages research funding from other donors and organisations. These NIHR investments in infrastructure are estimated to be £44.5 million over the period 2018/19 to 2024/25, enabling 298 brain tumour research studies to take place.

Research delivered through UKRI, which includes the Medical Research Council, is the responsibility of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Over six years, from the financial year 2018/19 to 2023/24, UKRI committed £46.8 million to brain tumour research. This is the most recent data we hold.

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The Government recognises the significant impact cancerous brain tumours can have on patients, carers, and families, and that treatment options remain limited. All new licensed medicines, including for brain cancer, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which assesses whether they are a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources.

NICE has recommended vorasidenib for eligible patients aged 12 years old and over with IDH mutant low-grade glioma, as an option for treating grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma where it is considered the most suitable treatment. NICE is also actively evaluating further medicines for potential use in brain tumours.

NICE works with companies and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue guidance as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England must fund medicines recommended by NICE, and the Cancer Drugs Fund can provide access from the point of a draft positive NICE recommendation.

The MHRA recognises the challenges of developing treatments for rare cancers, where large-scale clinical evidence can be difficult to generate, and supports timely access to safe, effective, and high-quality treatments for patients with high unmet need.

The MHRA supports innovative approaches such as precision medicine, real-world evidence, and international collaboration. Relevant routes include Project Orbis, the Access Consortium, the International Recognition Pathway, and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, alongside the Rare Diseases Framework and recent regulations to support faster development of personalised cancer treatments.

Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s investment in the NIHR facilitates the direct funding of research projects through NIHR programmes, support for researchers to develop and conduct research through NIHR translational infrastructure, and a workforce to deliver research on behalf of other funders through NIHR research delivery infrastructure.

The following table shows the amount the Department, through the NIHR, committed to research for oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma, astrocytoma, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma between the financial years 2015/16 to 2024/25:

As NIHR infrastructure primarily funds staff and National Health Service support costs for research delivery, the spend is not directly attributable to specific research studies for the most part, but an estimate is derived based on the number of studies in brain tumour research against the annual infrastructure spend, and is included in the above figures.

The data does fluctuate due to changes such as contract variations and updated information regarding financial reconciliations and support activity.

A breakdown of the percentage of the total research expenditure is not available. This is because much of the NIHR’s investments are for cross-cutting cancer research activities within the NHS and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure. In addition, the NIHR cancer research portfolio contains non-specific brain cancer research projects, which will add to the evidence base for the different types of tumours.

The NIHR continues to welcome high-quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The National Cancer Plan sets out a whole-system approach to improving outcomes for all cancers, including brain tumours, with a focus on earlier diagnosis, faster access to treatment, research and innovation, patient experience, and survival. The plan's overarching ambition is that three in four people diagnosed with cancer will survive for five years or more by 2035.

The Government is also strengthening support for brain tumour research. In January 2026, the NIHR announced increased investment of more than £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, which aims to accelerate the development of new treatments and improve outcomes for adults and children with brain tumours.

The Department continues to work closely with NHS England, the NIHR, and other partners to deliver the commitments set out in the National Cancer Plan and to support improvements in outcomes for people affected by brain tumours.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, providers of supported accommodation must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) if they carry out the regulated activity of ‘personal care’. The Government does not have plans to establish a system to record deaths in supported accommodation that is not registered with the CQC.

However, all supported accommodation providers must comply with their existing legal duties, including meeting the relevant standards for the quality of accommodation.

The local authority must carry out safeguarding enquiries if an adult has care and support needs, whether or not these are being met by the local authority, and is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and, as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself from the abuse or neglect or the risk of it. This also applies to accommodation that is not registered with the CQC.

Safeguarding adults boards must also arrange safeguarding adults reviews in cases where an adult has died or experienced serious harm and there are concerns about how agencies worked together, helping to identify lessons to apply to future cases to prevent deaths or serious harm occurring again.

More broadly, the Government’s Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 provides a strong and robust framework which aims to ensure that all residents receive good quality support in good quality accommodation. Under this legislation, housing providers will need to apply for a licence for their supported housing schemes in each local authority, pass a fit and proper person test, and meet several conditions, including complying with the National Supported Housing Standards.

The Government takes the quality and safety of all supported housing very seriously and we are committed to keeping these regulatory arrangements under review to ensure they are effective in preventing avoidable deaths.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications, as referenced in a response to HL1488. Prescribing safety will be considered as part of this review within the scope of the MHRA’s remit. This will include, for example, assessing how prescribing conditions are described in the product information of relevant migraine medicines. However, clinical practice, national or regional clinical guidelines, and a healthcare professional’s decision to prescribe a particular medicine are outside the MHRA’s direct scope of work.

NHS England does not hold information on what mobility devices, including electrically powered wheelchairs, have been adopted for use by the National Health Service in the last five years.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services and NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services through a range of policies and guidance, including the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets.

Responsibility for providing community equipment to disabled people typically falls to the NHS and local authorities. Local authorities have a statutory duty to make arrangements for the provision of community equipment for disabled people in their area. Types of support include equipment to enable people to live more independently, such as grab rails, walking aids, and wheelchairs for short-term use. Responsibility for managing the market for these services rests with local authorities.

Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required.

NHS England is supporting ICBs to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the NHS.UK website and applies to all NHS wheelchair services and provision, including electrically powered wheelchairs.

NHS England introduced personal wheelchair budgets, including legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004 to 1007.

As mentioned in those answers, the report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding. The report signposts the public and partners to the full account of research activity.

In the last five available assistive technology reports, covering the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25, 30 projects were recorded under the primary theme Mobility and Musculoskeletal Health, with a further 15 recorded under that theme as a secondary category. This data has been collated from the published datasets on National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Open Data, with further information available on the NIHR website. The Department does not currently hold central information on how many of these projects have since reached the National Health Service market.

Responsibility for supporting the development of innovative medical devices and assistive technologies sits across the Government. The Department supports research and innovation through organisations such as the NIHR, which helps generate the evidence needed to support the development, evaluation, and future adoption of health technologies.

The uptake of medical devices within the NHS is primarily a matter for NHS England and local NHS organisations, informed by advice from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Department is working with NHS England, regulators, and industry to address barriers to adoption and to support faster access to clinically effective and cost-effective technologies.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004 to 1007.

As mentioned in those answers, the report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding. The report signposts the public and partners to the full account of research activity.

In the last five available assistive technology reports, covering the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25, 30 projects were recorded under the primary theme Mobility and Musculoskeletal Health, with a further 15 recorded under that theme as a secondary category. This data has been collated from the published datasets on National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Open Data, with further information available on the NIHR website. The Department does not currently hold central information on how many of these projects have since reached the National Health Service market.

Responsibility for supporting the development of innovative medical devices and assistive technologies sits across the Government. The Department supports research and innovation through organisations such as the NIHR, which helps generate the evidence needed to support the development, evaluation, and future adoption of health technologies.

The uptake of medical devices within the NHS is primarily a matter for NHS England and local NHS organisations, informed by advice from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Department is working with NHS England, regulators, and industry to address barriers to adoption and to support faster access to clinically effective and cost-effective technologies.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of quality, efficacy, and safety.

The MHRA has recently received a report relating to the use of migraine medicines and the effect on mental health from a patient. As a result, the MHRA plans to gather the currently available evidence on mental health and related risks for licensed migraine prophylaxis medications and consider whether this suggests a need to update or change existing warnings in the relevant product information. The review would include an assessment of suspected adverse drug reactions recorded within the Psychiatric Disorders System Organ Class in relation to licensed migraine prophylaxis medication use as well as other data sources such as scientific literature.

The MHRA encourages anyone to report if they suspect an adverse reaction to a medical product or products. Further information on Yellow Card reporting is available at the Yellow Card website.

We recognise that the uneven distribution of general practitioners (GPs) is a longstanding, generational challenge which successive administrations have sought to overcome. As we consider future interventions we are looking carefully at lessons from previous approaches, such as Medical Practices Committees, whilst taking account of the current workforce position and contracting landscape within General Practice.

We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring practices facing particular workforce pressures have the resources to continue serving their patients. To address this, we are taking steps to increase capacity in GPs and ensure every practice has the necessary workforce to provide integrated, patient-centred services.

Following stakeholder feedback from the 2026/27 GP Contract consultation, we have introduced a practice-level GP reimbursement scheme using £292 million of repurposed funding from the current Capacity and Access Payment. This funding is available to practices to hire additional GPs or to fund additional sessions with existing GPs to improve access in practices. This aims to strengthen capacity, access, and improve patient satisfaction.

We have also increased flexibility of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) by removing the restriction that ARRS funding can only be used for recently qualified GPs, increasing the maximum reimbursement amount for GP roles to reflect experience, and enabling primary care networks to recruit a broader range of ARRS roles, where agreed with the commissioner.

We recognise the importance of ensuring funding for core GP services is distributed fairly between practices across the country and we know that the current distribution formula is considered outdated. The first phase of a review of the Carr-Hill formula concluded in May and the recommendations are with the Department for consideration.

We are grateful to Parliament for their scrutiny of the Health Bill and look forward to debating any amendments in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology.

The Department invests significantly in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department's research operational arm. The latest report, covering the period from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, has been produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Research under the direction of the Department.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology.

The Department invests significantly in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department's research operational arm. The latest report, covering the period from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, has been produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Research under the direction of the Department.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated each year to reflect newly funded research. It is published annually in December, with data curated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in collaboration with other Government funders.

The report is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology. It also includes recommendations to inform future assistive technology research and planned work arising from funded projects. The relevant Government funders are responsible for monitoring the projects listed in the report. Ministerial responsibility for monitoring and uptake sits with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety.

NIHR Open Data is a website managed by the NIHR, the research arm of the Department, to promote the transparency and accessibility of NIHR-funded research.

Since 2023, NIHR Open Data has hosted the Assistive Technologies dataset, which allows funded studies to be filtered by assistive technology research ‘focus areas’. The NIHR does not hold data on how many mobility products have been monitored or subsequently adopted by the National Health Service. The NIHR Open Data dataset is available as supplementary material to the statutory report and can be searched, filtered, and downloaded. Further information is available on the NIHR’s website.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated each year to reflect newly funded research. It is published annually in December, with data curated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in collaboration with other Government funders.

The report is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology. It also includes recommendations to inform future assistive technology research and planned work arising from funded projects. The relevant Government funders are responsible for monitoring the projects listed in the report. Ministerial responsibility for monitoring and uptake sits with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety.

NIHR Open Data is a website managed by the NIHR, the research arm of the Department, to promote the transparency and accessibility of NIHR-funded research.

Since 2023, NIHR Open Data has hosted the Assistive Technologies dataset, which allows funded studies to be filtered by assistive technology research ‘focus areas’. The NIHR does not hold data on how many mobility products have been monitored or subsequently adopted by the National Health Service. The NIHR Open Data dataset is available as supplementary material to the statutory report and can be searched, filtered, and downloaded. Further information is available on the NIHR’s website.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated each year to reflect newly funded research. It is published annually in December, with data curated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in collaboration with other Government funders.

The report is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology. It also includes recommendations to inform future assistive technology research and planned work arising from funded projects. The relevant Government funders are responsible for monitoring the projects listed in the report. Ministerial responsibility for monitoring and uptake sits with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety.

NIHR Open Data is a website managed by the NIHR, the research arm of the Department, to promote the transparency and accessibility of NIHR-funded research.

Since 2023, NIHR Open Data has hosted the Assistive Technologies dataset, which allows funded studies to be filtered by assistive technology research ‘focus areas’. The NIHR does not hold data on how many mobility products have been monitored or subsequently adopted by the National Health Service. The NIHR Open Data dataset is available as supplementary material to the statutory report and can be searched, filtered, and downloaded. Further information is available on the NIHR’s website.

The report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated each year to reflect newly funded research. It is published annually in December, with data curated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in collaboration with other Government funders.

The report is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding, current and planned funding schemes, and national action plans or service changes to improve the use of assistive technology. It also includes recommendations to inform future assistive technology research and planned work arising from funded projects. The relevant Government funders are responsible for monitoring the projects listed in the report. Ministerial responsibility for monitoring and uptake sits with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety.

NIHR Open Data is a website managed by the NIHR, the research arm of the Department, to promote the transparency and accessibility of NIHR-funded research.

Since 2023, NIHR Open Data has hosted the Assistive Technologies dataset, which allows funded studies to be filtered by assistive technology research ‘focus areas’. The NIHR does not hold data on how many mobility products have been monitored or subsequently adopted by the National Health Service. The NIHR Open Data dataset is available as supplementary material to the statutory report and can be searched, filtered, and downloaded. Further information is available on the NIHR’s website.

The Social Value Model supports the Government’s ambition to consider broader economic, social, and environmental benefits, not just cost, in procurement. All tenders are required to apply a minimum of 10% weighting to the quality assessment of a supplier’s bid, and this extends to all National Health Service procurements. NHS England has published the NHS Social Value Playbook, a copy of which is attached, to support the consistent and proportionate application of social value to help NHS organisations and suppliers design social value commitments that:

• enable and deliver United Kingdom economic growth, jobs, skills pathways, and workforce wellbeing;
• tackle health inequalities; and
• support the three strategic shifts in the 10‑Year Health Plan.

NHS England is also committed to improving engagement with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and helping to make it easier for them to do business with the NHS. In February 2026, the Department and NHS England published new guidance for NHS bodies, Doing Business with the health sector: a guide for buyers and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), a copy of which is attached. Co-developed with SMEs through the SME Advisory Group, this provides practical guidance and real-world examples to help the health system engage SMEs more effectively, while enabling SMEs to better navigate and access opportunities within the health sector.

NHS England has committed to meeting SME spend targets as set out in its SME Action Plan, published in March 2026.

NHS England is currently reviewing a number of specialised service specifications, including paediatric neurosciences, neurosurgery, and complex rehabilitation. It is our intention that all three updated service specifications will be published in 2026 or 2027.

The review and update of service specifications is completed in line with the published methods document and informed through engagement with clinical leads, individual services, and patient and public voice.

NHS England does not hold information on what mobility devices, including electrically powered wheelchairs, have been adopted for use by the National Health Service in the last five years.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services and NHS England supports ICBs to commission effective, efficient, and personalised wheelchair services through a range of policies and guidance, including the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets.

Responsibility for providing community equipment to disabled people typically falls to the NHS and local authorities. Local authorities have a statutory duty to make arrangements for the provision of community equipment for disabled people in their area. Types of support include equipment to enable people to live more independently, such as grab rails, walking aids, and wheelchairs for short-term use. Responsibility for managing the market for these services rests with local authorities.

Since July 2015, NHS England has collected quarterly data from clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs, on wheelchair provision, including waiting times, to enable targeted action if improvement is required.

NHS England is supporting ICBs to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework applies to all NHS wheelchair services and provision, including electrically powered wheelchairs.

NHS England introduced personal wheelchair budgets including legal rights in 2019, providing a clear framework for ICBs to commission personalised wheelchair services which are outcomes focused and integrated. Personal wheelchair budgets give people greater choice over the wheelchair provided.

Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) are a vital tool for improving patient care. They sit at the heart of the 10-Year Health Plan and are being designed to deliver a step change in both service quality and productivity. Proposals for new MSFs will be assessed by the National Quality Board against a clear set of criteria, including: the strength of the case for change; the presence of consensus around a genuinely ambitious, long term outcome goal; the existence of a strong coalition of cross-system partners; and the potential for digital by default models and service transformation. Following these criteria is essential in ensuring that MSFs have a high impact and remain credible, and that MSF development and implementation capacity is focused where the approach can add the greatest value.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of modern service frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave of MSFs was agreed as cardiovascular disease, sepsis, and severe mental illness. The second wave has now been agreed as frailty and dementia, children and young people, and palliative care and end-of-life care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve neurological services through national programmes like NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Programme, NHS RightCare, updated service specifications and guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which together aim to reduce variation and deliver more coordinated, person‑centred care.

We are expanding the recruitment of general practice (GP) doctors to improve access to appointments. Since October 2024, we have funded primary care networks (PCNs) with an additional £160 million to recruit recently qualified GPs through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, preventing over 3,700 GPs graduating into unemployment.

Changes to the 2026/27 GP Contract have removed restrictions so that PCNs can hire more GPs. We introduced a practice level GP reimbursement scheme, worth £292 million, which enables practices to hire additional GPs or fund extra GP sessions with existing GPs. This is intended to help improve access, boost capacity, support GP employment, and continue to improve patient satisfaction. In July 2024, there were 27,735 fully qualified full time equivalent GPs and as of April 2026 there are 30,095, an extra 2,000 GPs. This is the highest number since 2015. This is separate to the passage of the bill.

We are aware that workforce shortages can be greater in some, often deprived, areas. We recognise the importance of ensuring that funding for core GP services is distributed fairly between practices across the country, and we know that the current distribution formula is considered outdated. The first phase of a review of the Carr-Hill formula concluded in May and the recommendations are with the Department for consideration.

NHS England’s Neurology Service Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients. The programme worked with a number of systems across England to implement change and to also assess the impact on access to specialised neurology care. Outputs will be published in due course.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of modern service frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as cardiovascular disease, sepsis, and severe mental illness. The second wave has now been agreed as frailty and dementia, children and young people, and palliative care and end-of-life care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

The NHS England Paediatric Neurorehabilitation Service Specification sets out a national, multidisciplinary model for delivering intensive rehabilitation tailored to the needs of children with acquired brain injury, including trauma, brain tumours and encephalopathy, as well as spinal cord injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions. A copy of the service specification is attached.

As part of NHS England’s service specification review programme, the Paediatric Neurosciences Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing the service specification. This work includes engagement with individual paediatric neurorehabilitation services to inform an updated model of care and to assess current provision and access. This review will support improvements in access to high-quality, intensive rehabilitation and will ensure services are responsive to the needs of children and young people across England.

NHS England is currently reviewing a number of specialised service specifications including paediatric neurosciences, neurosurgery, and complex rehabilitation. It is our intention that all three updated service specifications will be published by 2027.