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 reduce waiting times for neurology outpatient appointments; and what plans are in place to ensure timely access to neurological care for all patients.

The Government is committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. This includes patients waiting for neurology care.

As of August 2025, the neurology waiting list stands at 226,432, a reduction of 4.3% since August 2024. Since coming into office we have delivered 5.2 million additional appointments, including for neurology care, in part by rolling out reforms outlined in the Elective Reform Plan (ERP). These reforms include broadening access to outpatient care, through virtual and group consultations, and minimising missed appointments.

We have also expanded the Advice and Guidance scheme, which helps to ensure that patients get care in the right place and only see a specialist if it’s really necessary, freeing up capacity in secondary care for those who need it, including certain patients with neurology conditions or symptoms. The latest data, which is subject to change, shows this has resulted in 589,336 requests being “diverted” since April 2025, a 4.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The 10-Year Health Plan builds on the ERP with a more sustainable vision for elective care where two-thirds of outpatient care is moved to community settings or delivered remotely, rather than in hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS app where it’s more convenient for patients. The recently published Medium Term Planning Framework outlines targets for the NHS from 2026/27 to 2028/29 to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambitions, including giving patients more control over their follow up care to reduce unnecessary appointments and expanding Advice and Guidance, thereby freeing up appointments and reducing long waits, including for neurology care.