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 (a) improve access to neurology services for people with multiple sclerosis and (b) increase funding for research into neurological conditions.

There are several initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England, including the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme for Neurology, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP).

The GIRFT National Specialty Report made recommendations designed to improve services nationally and to support the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across the country. The report highlighted differences in how services are delivered and provided the opportunity to share successful initiatives between trusts to improve patient services nationally. In addition, the NTP has developed a model of integrated care for neurology services to support integrated care boards to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including providing care closer to home.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, most people with MS can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of MS care that patients may receive from 27 neurology centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including specialist nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

The Department delivers research into neurological conditions via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In 2023/24, the most recent year we have data for, the NIHR spent £72.9 million on research into neurological conditions across research projects, programmes, and infrastructure.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological conditions, including MS. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.