Progress on improving services for neurological conditions welcomed

Commenting on the neurological conditions annual statement of progress for 2016-17, Mr Gething said: 

“People with neurological conditions need timely access to high-quality care, wherever they live. Our plan, supported by additional funding, aims to deliver that. 

“I am pleased the annual statement has shown progress in improving the services for people who have a neurological condition. There are excellent examples of multi-disciplinary team improvements throughout Wales despite dealing with increasing and more complex demands for services.

“In particular, there has been a reduction in the number of emergency admissions and the average time patients spend in hospital following an admission. This is a key focus of our plan and demonstrates that patients and the NHS are getting far better at managing people’s conditions.

“Progress is also being made on the establishment of a responsive and efficient neuro-rehabilitation service to ensure patients get the care they need as locally as possible.”

Around 100,000 people are living with a long-term neurological condition in Wales. Of those, over 41,000 people in Wales are estimated to suffer from Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease or cerebral palsy. In addition, a further 10,000 people each year were admitted to hospital for an acquired brain injury.