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 value of introducing a Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions.

The Department welcomes the report from the MS Society and Neurological Alliance as a valuable contribution to the evidence base, and recognises the important issues it raises, including variation in access to care, diagnostic delays and pressures across neurological services.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve neurological services through national programmes like NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) NHS RightCare, updated service specifications and new guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which together aim to reduce variation and deliver more coordinated, person‑centred care.

The Department has made no specific assessment of introducing a target to reduce avoidable admissions for neurological conditions by 30% by 2035. However, the Department recognises the importance of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving outcomes for people with neurological conditions. National Programmes like GIRFT and RightCare strengthen early diagnosis, improve community‑based support and develop integrated care pathways, with the aim of reducing avoidable deterioration and supporting patients closer to home.

The Government will continue to consider evidence and proposals to improve care for people with neurological conditions as part of wider health system reforms, including the 10-Year Health Plan.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is developing a programme of Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) which will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as Cardiovascular Disease, Sepsis and Severe Mental Illness. The second wave has now been agreed as Frailty and Dementia, Children and Young People, and Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care.

The Government will consider other long-term conditions, including neurological conditions, for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.