Patients with motor neurone disease (MND) are set to receive faster access to care and support under new government plans to overhaul the social care system.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper made the announcement earlier this month during a visit to the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.
As Rob’s local MP, Ms Cooper worked closely with the former Leeds Rhinos and England rugby league star to raise funds for the creation of the centre before he died of complications relating to the disease in 2024.
Praising the facility during her visit on August 5, she 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.”
The new fast-track care pathway is intended to tackled delays in “fragmentation in support” for people with MND, delivering a more joined‑up, person‑centred approach that reduces the need for families to navigate multiple services.
It comes on the heels of recent pledges made by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to fix the social care system and introduce a national care service.
Ms Cooper said: “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.”
The government said it will work closely with the MND Association, people living with MND, and carers and partners across health, social care and housing to deliver the new fast-track pathway.
It is expected to build on examples of best practice, such as the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, to support more proactive care, improve co-ordination between services, and make it easier for patients and families to access the support they need as quickly as possible.