Motor neurone disease (MND) patients will get faster access to care and support under a new government pathway aimed at reducing delays and fragmented services.
Health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper announced the plans on Wednesday during a visit to the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.
The announcement comes as the government takes action to tackle delays and fragmented support for people living with MND.
It forms part of the first phase of its plans to reform social care and pursue Andy Burnham’s ambition for a national care service.
During her visit to the centre, Cooper paid tribute to the legacy of Burrow and his family and their work to improve care, treatment and support for people living with MND.
Cooper said: “This is Rob Burrow’s legacy. It’s a tribute to Rob, to his family, to Kevin Sinfield, and it’s also a huge inspiration to see their vision brought to life about putting patients and families at the heart of MND care.
“What we’ve got to do now is make sure the principles that apply here about supporting families and patients are applied throughout the National Health Service and also in our social care system too.
“That’s why when Andy Burnham set out a vision for a national care service, we prioritised MND as being something we should focus on now, providing social care support for affected families and speeding it up as well. That’s why, for me, it was a real priority to come here, and it’s been such a privilege for me to support Rob and Rob’s family for so many years, and all of the work that they’ve done.”
People with MND and their families can face lengthy waits and have to navigate a complex system spanning health, social care and housing services at a time when every day matters.
The Rob Burrow Centre brings specialist MND services together under one roof, providing co-ordinated care, treatment and support in one location.
The new fast-track pathway will draw on principles used at the centre, taking a more joined-up and person-centred approach to providing care and support across the country.
The government said it should reduce the need for families to navigate several services and cut stress and delays in accessing care.
As Rob Burrow’s local MP, Cooper worked closely with him and his family and supported their efforts to raise awareness of MND and improve support for people affected by the condition.
She also took part in the Rob Burrow Strictly Come Dancing charity ball in 2022, which helped raise money for the creation of the Rob Burrow Centre.
Development of the fast-track pathway will involve the MND Association, people living with MND, carers and partners across health, social care and housing.
Building on examples such as the Rob Burrow Centre, it will aim to support more proactive care, improve co-ordination between services and help patients and families access support more quickly.
The announcement builds on the government’s wider social care reform programme announced last week and forms part of immediate action while plans for a national care service are developed.
As part of the reforms, the Prime Minister brought forward Baroness Casey’s independent commission into adult social care by a year.
The commission will help shape longer-term reforms, while other measures include workforce changes, stronger safeguarding arrangements and the appointment of a dementia tsar.
In March 2026, Baroness Casey highlighted the need for urgent action to give people with MND faster access to care and support.
The government subsequently wrote to local authorities setting out steps they could take to improve services for people living with the condition.
These include fast-tracking access to care and support, ensuring health and social care services work together to assess and meet people’s needs, and planning ahead as their conditions progress.
Councils were also asked to speed up Disabled Facilities Grant processes and waive the grant’s means test for people with MND.
The government said these measures represent the first steps towards a national care service designed around people and families.
It plans to work with people living with MND, their families, specialist organisations and frontline professionals to tackle differences in access to support and improve the consistency of care.
Alongside changes to care and support, the government said it remains committed to research into better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND.
Tanya Curry, chief executive of the MND Association, said: “It’s heartening to hear the Secretary of State today reiterating the government’s commitment, made in light of the Casey Commission’s recommendations, to fast-tracking access to care and support for people with motor neurone disease.
“We hear time and time again of people with MND forced to battle a system that is slow, disjointed and too complex to move quickly enough to support people with a rapidly progressing disease.
“This must change – Ms Cooper’s statement today suggests she agrees and that there is willingness at the highest levels of government to transform the experience for people with MND.
“We must now see that willingness turned into action, with real solutions implemented nationally and locally, in health and social care.”
