Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support earlier diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy among healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including multiple system atrophy (MSA), under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework, including getting a diagnosis faster and improving awareness among health professionals.

Earlier diagnosis of MSA relies on clinical guidance, improving recognition in primary care, and ensuring timely access to specialist movement disorder expertise. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, provides primary care clinicians with clear criteria for identifying early features of progressive neurological disorders, including atypical parkinsonian syndromes such as MSA. The guideline sets out when urgent or routine referral to neurology is appropriate, supporting earlier recognition and reducing diagnostic delay in general practice.

To ensure patients with suspected complex movement disorders are assessed promptly, the revised NHS England Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) service specification, from August 2025, requires all tertiary centres to provide specialised movement disorder clinics and to operate within networked integrated neurology systems. These networks strengthen links between primary care, district general hospitals, and specialist centres, enabling clinicians to access specialist advice and refer patients earlier when MSA or other atypical parkinsonian syndromes are suspected.

NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme has also developed an Integrated Neurology Care Model and toolkit, which emphasise structured pathways, care coordination, and improved communication across the system. These measures support earlier diagnosis by ensuring patients with concerning movement disorder symptoms reach the appropriate specialist team without unnecessary delay.