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 potential impact of neurology waiting times on patients; and what steps his Department is taking to support NHS trusts in reducing routine neurology backlogs.

The Department recognises that long waits for neurology appointments can have a significant impact on patients, including delayed diagnosis, prolonged uncertainty, and potential deterioration in health and quality of life. Neurological conditions are often complex and require timely specialist input to prevent complications and support effective management. To address these challenges, the Government and NHS England are taking a range of steps to reduce waiting times and improve access to care.

Our Elective Reform Plan sets a clear target to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. The plan sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.

Initiatives such as Getting It Right First Time and RightCare are supporting systems to redesign neurology pathways, reduce unwarranted variation, and improve outpatient flow. These programmes provide evidence-based recommendations for integrated care models and better workforce planning.

NHS England’s Standardising Community Health Services guidance asks integrated care boards to include community neurorehabilitation as a core component of local services, helping to shift care closer to home and reduce pressure on hospital-based neurology clinics.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for elective care by 2035, where the majority of interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually or via neighbourhood services. Planned care will be more efficient, timely, and effective, and will put control in the hands of patients.

We are also committed to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests. This includes investment in new and expanded community diagnostic centres, which are supporting a key Government priority to shift care from the hospital to the community, which offer the tests needed to support diagnosis of suspected neurological conditions.

The Government’s forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

These actions form part of a wider strategy to improve access, reduce backlogs, and deliver high-quality neurological care across England.