Reforming neurology for a healthier workforce: let’s get Britain working

Kevin McKenna MP, Sittingbourne and Sheppey | Novartis UK

3 min read12 January Partner content

The placement of this article, authored by Kevin McKenna MP to highlight the need for improved outcomes for people living with progressive neurological conditions, has been initiated and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd

The UK, like many advanced economies, faces serious challenges in sustaining economic growth and a resilient health system. As more people live with complex conditions, demand on services intensifies. Improving productivity and helping people stay healthy and in work for longer are essential to meeting these challenges.

Last year, I hosted a parliamentary event with experts from the MS Trust, the Neurological Alliance, the Neurology Academy and the MS Swale Group. We highlighted the urgent needs of people with progressive neurological conditions, using multiple sclerosis (MS) to illustrate the shared challenges they face. I was especially glad a member of the MS Swale Group from my constituency could attend and share their experience.

Around 1 in 6 people in the UK – about 11 million – live with a neurological condition.¹ MS affects over 150,000 people and is a leading cause of serious disability among working-age adults.^2,3 With 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term illness and MS rates rising, better support is essential to help people stay in and thrive at work.^4,5

Access to neurology services is simply not good enough and must be improved. After years of growing backlogs, the NHS neurology waiting list reached 225,000 in July 2025. Neurology now has one of the lowest rates of patients seen within the 18-week target of any specialty, a situation that urgently needs to change.⁶

The NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, with its focus on prevention and early intervention, could be transformative for people with neurological conditions. Promoting healthy lifestyles, raising awareness of early symptoms among the public and clinicians, and ensuring faster diagnosis can all help slow disease progression.

For MS, timely access to effective treatment and rehabilitation can delay disability and improve long-term outcomes.⁷ Strengthening initiatives such as the Neuroscience Transformation Programme and the government’s Neuro Forum will be vital to improving access, coordination, and prioritisation of neurological care.

Specialised neurology centres are also crucial, but transferring specialised commissioning responsibilities to Integrated Care Boards and then into our communities must also ensure that clinical expertise and leadership in this area is preserved.

In rural, coastal and industrial communities like Sittingbourne and Sheppey, where access to specialist neurological services is more limited, expanding community-based care, digital consultations, and preventive support will help more people better manage their conditions, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. Over time, this approach will not only enhance patient wellbeing but also strengthen local health resilience by easing pressure on overstretched NHS services.

There’s a real opportunity to dramatically improve care for people with progressive neurological disorders by using a Modern Service Framework as part of the implementation of the NHS 10-Year Plan. We must act now to support those living with these conditions and ultimately deliver on the government’s ambitions and our constituents’ needs.

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