News

February 28, 2022

England Rare Conditions Action Plan falls short on mental health

The Department of Health and Social Care have published the first Rare Diseases Action Plan for England, coinciding with Rare Disease Day on Monday 28 February 2022. The plan sets out the Government’s plans to improve the speed of diagnosis, access to genetic testing and how they assess access to medicines for rare conditions. The […]
February 23, 2022

Clinicians and patient groups call for mandatory review of neurology care

The National Neuroscience Advisory Group (NNAG) is calling on NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) to audit neurology services and implement a standardised set of outcome measures. Using standardised outcome measures would allow a more accurate understanding of access and experiences of care and how services are delivered across England. This would make it easier […]
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February 10, 2022

What does the Elective Recovery Plan mean for people with neurological conditions?

This week, NHS England and NHS Improvement published their blueprint for tackling the backlog of elective care and reducing waiting times. This week also saw publication of NHS waiting times data for December 2021. Neurosurgery saw 51,195 people waiting for an appointment, 7% (3,584) of whom had been waiting for more than a year. In […]
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January 14, 2022

New Year, Same Challenges: Latest NHS Operational Planning Guidance Sets Out Priorities for The Year Ahead

The latest iteration of NHS improvement priorities and operational planning guidance follows the most challenging two-years in its history. The health service remains under significant pressure with the Omicron variant of coronavirus leading to a Level 4 National Incident being declared.  Our full briefing is available below. Ongoing impact of the pandemic   The ongoing impact […]
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January 13, 2022

Getting It Right First Time in Neurology: a watershed moment in improving services?

The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) in Neurology report makes 26 clear and well-evidenced recommendations aimed at reducing the unwarranted variation in neurology practice and processes throughout England.  The question now is how can we use this evidence to deliver the best possible care to people with neurological conditions?  Recommendations in the GIRFT national report for neurology focus on:  Access to care: the review found significant variation in the range […]
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November 16, 2021

Alliance urges NHS England and NHS Improvement to appoint a national clinical director for neurology

The Neurological Alliance has written an urgent letter – backed by over 30 groups supporting people with neurological conditions – to the NHS England and NHS Improvement Medical Director, Professor Steven Powis, calling for the appointment of a National Clinical Director (NCD) for neurology. The call comes as the NHS in England is undergoing substantial […]