Neuromusclular Disorders

(asked on 23rd April 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy in the number of neuromuscular NHS consultants available to meet the treatment needs of patients with neuromuscular conditions.


Answered by
Steve Barclay Portrait
Steve Barclay
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This question was answered on 26th April 2018

Neuromuscular is not a specialty or subspecialty defined by Health Education England for the purpose of specialty training or by NHS Digital for the purpose of monitoring numbers of staff working in the National Health Service.

However, Health Education England expects that more than 150 doctors will complete specialist training in neurology by the end of 2020 and be available to take up posts as consultant neurologists.

The following table shows there has been a 45% increase in the full time equivalent number of consultants working in relevant neurology consultant specialties in the NHS since May 2010:

Consultant specialty

May 2010

January 2018

Change

Percentage

Clinical neurophysiology

86

105

18

21%

Diagnostic Neuropathology

0

3

3

Neurology

523

774

251

48%

Total

609

882

272

45%

Source: NHS Digital, NHS Hospital and Community Health Service workforce statistics.

Reticulating Splines