Pilot launches for UK’s first national audit of adult neurology services

19/08/2026

The pilot of the first ever National Adult Neurology Audit is now underway, marking an important milestone towards the UK’s first national audit of adult neurology services.

Led jointly by the NHS England Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and the Association of British Neurologists (ABN), the pilot will test whether a UK-wide audit of adult neurology services is both feasible and meaningful. By collecting comparable data from neuroscience centres across the UK, the pilot will assess whether services can consistently report the information needed to understand variation in care and support future quality improvement. 

Over the coming month, nine participating centres will complete the pilot questionnaire. The findings will help determine whether the proposed measures are practical to collect, meaningful for services and appropriate for wider implementation.

Putting people with neurological conditions at the heart of the audit

The National Adult Neurology Audit has been developed collaboratively by neurologists, patient representatives and partner organisations. The Neurological Alliance led the involvement of people affected by neurological conditions to help ensure the audit reflects what matters most to those using neurology services.

Earlier this year, The Neurological Alliance brought together people living with a range of neurological conditions, alongside carers, through a series of workshops and written submissions. 

Their feedback helped strengthen the final questionnaire, placing greater emphasis on communication, whole-pathway waiting times, continuity of care, coordinated support, rehabilitation, mental health support and unwarranted variation in care. 

A milestone for neurology services

National clinical audits have helped drive improvements in services ranging from stroke to cardiac care by enabling providers to benchmark performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Despite the growing demand for neurology services, there has never been a national audit of adult neurology services.

Dr Helen Grote, Consultant Neurologist and Chair of the Association of British Neurologists Quality Committee, said:

“For the first time, we’re testing whether it is possible to develop a national audit for adult neurology services across the UK. We are grateful to the clinicians and patients who have helped shape the pilot, and to the Association of British Neurologists, the Neurological Alliance and MS Society staff for their operational support.

The pilot will run across a small number of neurology centres in early autumn and will test whether the proposed measures are meaningful, practical and capable of providing consistent information across services. We hope to have preliminary results by the end of 2026.

The data and feedback will be invaluable in informing the next stage of the programme, with the ambition of developing a comprehensive and fully funded audit of neurology services across the UK.”

Georgina Carr, Chief Executive of The Neurological Alliance, said:

“This is an important milestone for neurology services and for everyone affected by a neurological condition. Until now, there has been no national audit of adult neurology services, making it difficult to understand where care is working well and where improvements are needed.

“We’re particularly proud that people with neurological conditions have helped shape the audit from the outset. Their experiences have strengthened the questions and ensured the audit focuses on what matters most: timely access to care, good communication, coordinated support and reducing unwarranted variation.”

What happens next?

Following the pilot, the National Adult Neurology Audit Steering Group, including the Neurological Alliance, will review the data and feedback from participating sites. The findings will be used to assess the feasibility of a UK-wide audit, refine the questionnaire where needed, and determine the next steps for the programme.

A range of audits are underway in paediatric neuroscience. Information about these is available on the British Paediatric Neuroscience Association (BPNA) website.