Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to improve the prioritisation of inpatient services for neurological conditions, and (2) to promote the delivery of treatment in outpatient settings where that is clinically preferable.
The National Neurosciences Advisory Group, supported by NHS England and NHS Improvement, has been working with the Neuro Intelligence Collaborative (NIC) on projects which include investigating the hospitalisation of people with acute neurology and establishing a profile of their interactions and length of stay in hospital. The NIC’s aim is to identify gaps in neurological service and develop recommendations for change.
In addition to this, NHS England works with national bodies such as Public Health England and patient organisations such as the Neurological Alliance, to raise awareness and support improvement in outcomes for people living with neurological conditions. NHS England supports local transformation through their national programmes - NHS RightCare has published a number of intelligence tools and resources to support reduction in unwarranted variation in neurology services.