Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to commission research on (a) essential tremor and (b) other neurological movement disorders.

The Department delivers research into neurological movement disorders via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). For example, the NIHR is funding the first James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership on essential tremor, which will bring together clinicians and families to understand the current unmet needs in the management and care of this group of patients and the challenges of living with essential tremor.

The NIHR is also funding a phase III trial, investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of rivastigmine patches in preventing falls for people with Parkinson’s disease. This approach is complemented by the STEPS II trial, which will determine if daily use of functional electrical stimulation improves walking speed in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Whilst there is no current funding call specifically for neurological movement disorders, the NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care and topics proposals can be submitted via the NIHR website at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic

These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on neurological movement disorders to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.