A coalition to support the one in six people living with a neurological condition has called on the Government to take immediate action to address the shortfalls in care and support.
The Neurological Alliance has handed over a 19,000-strong petition to the Department of Health and Social Care, calling on the Government to #BackThe1in6 by creating a UK-wide Neuro Taskforce to spearhead vital improvements in care and support.
This follows the emergence of results from The Neurological Alliance’s 2022 ‘My Neuro Survey’ completed by more than 8,500 people affected by neurological conditions, which exposed significant shortfalls in mental wellbeing support, delays to accessing vital treatment and care, and a lack of information and support at diagnosis.
Georgina Carr, chief executive of The Neurological Alliance, said: “Despite affecting millions of people and costing billions of pounds, neurological conditions are too often at the back of the queue.
“More than half of people who shared their experiences had experienced delays to routine specialist appointments in the last year and a majority hadn’t been asked about their mental wellbeing by a healthcare professional in the past three years.
“We believe these people are the neglected millions. The message from people affected by neurological conditions is clear – this must change.”
Together with the petition, the Neurological Alliance – which is also calling for neurological conditions to be included in the Major Conditions Strategy – exhibited a new artwork in Parliament, which featured pictures from hundreds of people affected by neurological conditions across the country.
It is hoped the artwork will help to raise awareness amongst MPs of the realities of living with a neurological condition.
Georgina added: “We must not ignore the fact that one in six people live with a neurological condition and many are not receiving the care and support they need.
“We stand united with over 100 organisations and 19,000 people to take immediate action.
“We urge Governments across the UK to establish a Neuro Taskforce to address these unacceptable gaps in care and support for people with neurological conditions and deliver real change.”
The coalition believe a UK-wide Neuro Taskforce would make a difference by taking steps to ensure everyone affected by neurological conditions has access to the right care at the right time and the workforce to support them.
It would provide a framework to support greater collaboration and sharing of best practice in the approaches taken to tackle common problems.
Dr Arani Nitkunan, consultant neurologist, said: “My colleagues and I see the devastating impact neurological conditions can have every day.
“Despite our best efforts to provide the best support for everyone, we are overstretched and overlooked by commissioners.
“Ensuring neurological conditions are tackled through a Neuro Taskforce would help us go further and mean that people with neurological conditions and services like mine are listened to at the highest forms of Government.”
