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Faster diagnosis and more rapid treatment was today promised to the 10 million people in the UK with long-term neurological conditions by community care minister Stephen Ladyman, writes Clare Jerrom.

The National Service Framework for long-term conditions was launched today to help people with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease live independent lives.

“Investing in rehabilitation services and flexible packages of care and support will help people live more independently and be a more cost effective way of providing services,” said Ladyman.

Services outlined in the NSF for people with long term conditions include:-

• Joint health and social care plans that change over time

• Self-referrals to allow people to refer themselves if their care needs change

• A named contact for every individual to have a single point of access to services

• Rehabilitation, equipment and personal care to help people live independently at home.

Marilyn Ekers, who has MS and who brought a service user’s perspective to the External Reference Group which helped advise the development of the NSF, said: “I hope the NSF raises standards of care, and gives everyone with long-term neurological conditions quicker and easier access to services when they need them.”