Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to establishing a national neurology plan to support people diagnosed with neurological conditions and to address any imbalances in the delivery of neurological services.

NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised neurology services and started, last autumn, a national Specialised Adult Neuroscience Transformation Programme which includes specialised neurology services. The aim is to identify how best to commission services that deliver the right care at the right place and right time and reduce inequalities in access to specialist and specialised care when required.

The programme will focus on specialised neurology and how to organise services such that patients receive access to specialist care and input at key points in the pathway. However, while specialised services for people living with neurological conditions are commissioned by NHS England the bulk of care is funded locally by clinical commissioning groups. The programme will therefore work with wider policy and services across the National Health Service to deliver holistic improvements in care. The aim is to deliver seamless care for people living with neurological conditions, wherever they live.