Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the recovery of people who have been diagnosed with severe Functional Neurological Disorder in Nottinghamshire.

The majority of services for people with neurological conditions, including functional neurological disorder (FND), are commissioned locally. Integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, have a statutory responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local population. This includes ensuring appropriate assessment, referral routes, and access to multidisciplinary rehabilitation for people diagnosed with FND. ICBs are expected to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop pathways that are responsive and convenient for patients.

National guidance is also in place to improve the consistency of care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides advice to clinicians on recognising and managing FND through its Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral guideline, reference code NG127, and Clinical Knowledge Summary, which support improved identification and care planning across primary and specialist settings.

NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements.

The National Neurosciences Advisory Group developed an Optimal Clinical Pathway for FND, published in 2023, which sets out what good, person‑centred FND care should look like across the National Health Service. The pathway provides a clear, evidence‑informed framework for commissioners and clinicians, emphasising timely assessment, clear and compassionate communication of the diagnosis, and coordinated multidisciplinary rehabilitation involving neurology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychological support. It also outlines how services should work together across primary, community, and specialist care to ensure patients receive consistent support, reduce unwarranted variation, and avoid patients being passed between services without a coherent plan.

NHS England has also strengthened expectations for FND care through its updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification (Adult), published in August 2025, which, for the first time, includes explicit requirements relating to FND. The specification states that all specialised neurology centres must ensure access to appropriate FND treatment services and adopt a multidisciplinary, networked model of care.