A better deal for neurology – we need you to support our campaign for a national strategy.

Update 26 June 2012

Epilepsy Action is supporting the Neurological Alliance campaign - Better deal for neurology.

The Neurological Alliance is a collective voice for over 50 brain and spine charities in England. This includes charities such as Parkinson’s UK, The Stroke Association and MS Society, as well as epilepsy organisations such as Epilepsy Action. Philip Lee, Epilepsy Action’s Chief Executive, is a trustee of the Neurological Alliance.

Better deal for neurology was launched in England in January 2012. The campaign aims to improve the care and support provided to the millions of people living with a neurological condition by lobbying for a:

• National Clinical Director for neurology
• National strategy for neurology 
• Strategic Clinical Network for neurology.

The campaign recently released Thinking Ahead: the case for a Strategic Clinical Network for Neurology. This report discusses the serious short-falls that exist within NHS provision of neurology care. It calls for the development of a Strategic Clinical Network for Neurology, as a way to solve these issues and improve care in terms of quality and value for money.

The network would achieve improvements by providing expertise to commissioners on:

• patient’s needs
• effective care planning
• care pathways
• coordinating the different services and professionals involved in the care of people with neurological conditions.

We would like our supporters to contact their MP to tell them about this campaign, and ask for their support. We want a government commitment to improving care and support for people with neurological conditions. There are national strategies for other condition groups such as cancer, diabetes and stroke, and national clinical directors for areas such as dementia, liver disease and mental health. We believe, with over eight million people in England living with a neurological condition, neurology deserves the same support.

Services for people with neurological conditions’ report

In December the National Audit Office published a report of their investigation into progressive neurological conditions.
Although epilepsy is not a progressive neurological condition, Epilepsy Action still submitted evidence to the National Audit Office about epilepsy services.

The report found:

• Between 2006 and 2010, there was a 38 per cent increase in spending on neurological health services. However the quality of care worsened, and the Department of Health have admitted they have no understanding of how this extra money benefited patients.
• Between 2004 and 2010, emergency admissions to hospital increased by 32 per cent for neurological patients, compared to 17 per cent for the NHS as a whole.
• This means that almost £1 billion pounds has been wasted by people with neurological conditions being unnecessarily admitted to hospital.

The government will be formally responding to this report in the spring, and we hope they will listen to our recommendations for improvement.
How you can get involved

We are encouraging our supporters to join our call for a government commitment by contacting their MP. We are asking MPs to:

• Sign an Early Day Motion calling for a national strategy for neurology.
• Write to the Secretary of State for Health to ask how he will respond to the issues highlighted in the National Audit Office report

You can contact your MP by email, to ask him/her to do this, by using a tool on the Neurological Alliance website.
Other neurological groups are asking their supporters to do the same.