Speaking in the Senedd today, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood, who is Chair of the Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions in the Welsh Parliament, has called on the Welsh Government to act on the recommendations of a report to address the chronic underfunding of neurological services across Wales and create a new neurological conditions strategy and action plan.
In 2019, people with neurological conditions, clinicians and charities raised concerns that the Welsh Government’s Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan (NCDP), which was published in 2014 and revised in 2017, had not yet resulted in the degree of change which should be expected.
Consequently, the Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions took action to conduct a short inquiry.
Its purpose was to gather evidence and to present both the Welsh Government and the Welsh Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee with recommendations for action to ‘Improve the implementation of the current NCDP’ and ‘Deliver a long term strategic approach to raising standards in treatment, services and support for people with neurological conditions in Wales’.
Speaking in his Short Debate today on ‘The Impact of the Welsh Government’s Neurological Delivery Plan’, Mr Isherwood urged the Welsh Government to accept the recommendations and commit to taking the necessary actions identified in the report.
He stated that these include ending the ‘chronic underfunding’ of neurological services within investment in health and social care services to meet the needs of people in Wales, and creating a new neurological conditions strategy and action plan with clearer outcomes and a stronger accountability structure.
He said:
“In Wales, approximately 100,000 people are living with a neurological condition that has a significant impact on their lives.
“The greatest success of the NCDP is that it has created a focus on the needs of people with neurological conditions in Wales.
“It has thrown a spotlight on the factors that have been missing in terms of strategic delivery of services for neurological conditions – e.g. networks such as those that exist for cancer, cardiac and other conditions.
“Furthermore, it has provided an opportunity and structure for individuals and third sector organisations to share their concerns and poor experiences.
“As a result, it has allowed those involved in implementation to begin to take action to address unmet need and to find solutions to challenges.
However, he added: “Due to the low starting baseline, the NCIG has yet to deliver anything like the scale of change that is required to ensure that people with neurological conditions across the whole of Wales have safe, timely and equitable access to treatment, services and support.
“While the current approach has begun to yield positive results, it will not be possible to create the step-change which is needed without wider strategic commitment from across NHS Wales, from Welsh Government and from local authorities at a senior level.
“Improving services and support for people with neurological conditions must be sustained if we are to make real change to people’s lives.
“It is also evident that people with neurological conditions and carers must be partners in this process.
“While the focus on increasing support for rehabilitation in the community is welcomed, the poor experiences that were reported show that sustained focus and continued investment is necessary.
“This is also urgently required given the damaging impact of shielding or self- isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic on many people living with a neurological condition.
“The NHS in Wales must apply strong leadership and set out its priorities for restarting services for people living with neurological conditions as soon as it is clinically safe to do so.”
He added:
“Our Report is based entirely upon the extensive written and oral evidence we received from a wide range of stakeholders, including: Individuals living with neurological conditions and carers; Charities representing people affected by neurological conditions; Specialist clinicians, Royal Colleges; The Wales Neurological Alliance; and The Neurological Conditions Implementation Group.
“We commend it to the Welsh Government and look forward to their response.”