Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason motor neurone disease (MND) was removed from the extremely vulnerable list; if he will publish the evidential basis for that decision; and if he will make an assessment of for what reason Northern Ireland regards MND patients as extremely vulnerable, but England does not.

Expert doctors in England identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, placed someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Motor neurone disease has never been on the list of specific medical conditions as it was determined that it would not be included as there are many stages to the disease, with varying levels of severity.

General practitioners and hospital clinicians have the discretion to add individual patients to the list based on a clinical assessment of their needs. Anyone with motor neurone disease who is concerned about whether or not they should be shielding, should contact their doctor to discuss.

The Northern Ireland Executive, through its Department of Health, is responsible for decisions in Northern Ireland.