Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish an update on work to review and update NHS England's national service specifications for (1) paediatric neurosciences, (2) neurosurgery, and (3) complex rehabilitation.

The NHS England Paediatric Neurorehabilitation Service Specification sets out a national, multidisciplinary model for delivering intensive rehabilitation tailored to the needs of children with acquired brain injury, including trauma, brain tumours and encephalopathy, as well as spinal cord injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions. A copy of the service specification is attached.

As part of NHS England’s service specification review programme, the Paediatric Neurosciences Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing the service specification. This work includes engagement with individual paediatric neurorehabilitation services to inform an updated model of care and to assess current provision and access. This review will support improvements in access to high-quality, intensive rehabilitation and will ensure services are responsive to the needs of children and young people across England.

NHS England is currently reviewing a number of specialised service specifications including paediatric neurosciences, neurosurgery, and complex rehabilitation. It is our intention that all three updated service specifications will be published by 2027.