Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) improve support for those with Motor Neurone Disease and (b) increase research in the area of diagnosis and treatment.

Care for patients with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) involves a multi-disciplinary approach from MND specialists. NHS England commissions specialised care from 25 specialised neurological treatment centres across England. NHS England has published a service specification setting out what providers must have in place to deliver specialised neurological care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline, ‘Motor neurone disease: assessment and management’, contains guidance for clinicians in the diagnosis of MND. Clinicians and commissioners should continue to take this guidance into account, alongside prioritisation advice provided by the Association of British Neurologists and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

We have committed £50 million for MND research over the next five years. New, innovative projects will help researchers to better understand the disease and its related conditions, develop and test treatments and improve care for those living with MND. We will also establish the National Institute for Health Research’s MND Research Unit to coordinate innovative research applications.