Patients with motor neurone disease set for fast-tracked care

Patients with motor neurone disease (MND) will get faster access to care and support, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Yvette Cooper, has set out today during a visit to the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds (Wednesday 5 August 2026).

The announcement comes as the government launches action to tackle delays and fragmentation in support for people living with MND and is part of the first phase of fixing the social care system and pursuing Andy Burnham's ambition to introduce a national care service.

MND patients and families too often face lengthy waits and have to navigate a complex system spanning health, social care and housing services at a time when every day matters.

The Rob Burrow Centre brings specialist MND services together under one roof, providing coordinated care, treatment and support in a single location, making accessing services easier for people living with MND and their families. Learning from this, the new fast-track care pathway will draw on these principles of a more joined-up, person-centred approach and help deliver care support more consistently and much more quickly across the country, lessening the need for families to navigate multiple services and reducing stress and delays to care.

As Rob Burrow's local MP, Yvette Cooper worked closely with Rob and his family, supporting their tireless efforts to raise awareness of the condition and improve support for those affected. She also took part in the Rob Burrow Strictly Come Dancing charity ball in 2022, which helped raise funds for the creation of the Rob Burrow Centre.

Today, visiting the centre named in Rob's honour, the Secretary of State paid tribute to the extraordinary legacy left by Rob and his family. It stands as a testament to their determination to improve care, treatment and support for people living with MND, bringing together specialist expertise and helping patients and families access the coordinated care they need.

Yvette Cooper Health and Social Care Secretary 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.

That's why 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. That's why, for me, it was a real priority to come here, and it's been such a privilege for me to support Rob and Rob's family for so many years, and all of the work that they've done.

Development of the new fast-track pathway will involve working closely with the Motor Neurone Disease Association, people living with MND, carers and partners across health, social care and housing. Building on examples of best practice such as the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, the pathway will support more proactive care, improve coordination between services, and make it easier for patients and families to access the support they need as quickly as possible. 

Today's announcement builds on the government's wider programme of social care reform announced last week and is part of immediate action being taken to deliver improvements now while working with people, families and the care sector to shape a National Care Service for the future. As part of that reform to social care, the Prime Minister brought forward Baroness Casey's Independent Commission into adult social care by a full year, recognising the urgent need to improve care for people and families who depend on support services.

While the Commission will play a central role in shaping long-term reform, the government is already taking practical action to improve care alongside this new MND pathway, including introducing workforce reforms, strengthening safeguarding arrangements and appointing a dementia tsar.

In March 2026, Baroness Casey highlighted the need for urgent action to ensure people with MND to receive faster access to care and support. In response, the government has already written to local authorities setting out immediate steps they can take to improve services for people living with the condition.

These include:

• Fast-tracking access to care and support
• Ensuring health and social care services work together to assess and meet people's needs
• Planning ahead as people's conditions progress
• Speeding up Disabled Facilities Grant processes
• Waiving the Disabled Facilities Grant means test for people with MND

These changes mark the important first steps in delivering the government's vision for a National Care Service that works around people and families, rather than asking them to fit around services. Through close engagement

with people living with MND, their loved ones, specialist organisations and frontline professionals, the government will look to tackle variation in access to support and ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Alongside improving care and support, the government remains committed to supporting research into better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND.

Craig Richardson, Deputy Chief Executive, Leeds Teaching Hospital, said:  

We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State to the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease here at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Having taken part in the Strictly Burrow Ball back in 2022, and supported the fundraising for the build, we were really grateful for the visit to see the centre firsthand. It is really encouraging to see Motor Neurone Disease firmly on the Government's agenda and to have the Secretary of State's support for the pioneering model of care we are developing here in Leeds. 

Six months since opening, our holistic support sessions, research programme and outreach family work are already starting to take shape. We are confident that, as awareness for the centre and its offering continues to grow, it will establish itself as a nationally recognised model for integrated MND care, which combines outstanding clinical care, family support and research and innovation under one roof, while continuing Rob Burrow's legacy of hope and compassion for the wider MND community. 

Tanya Curry, Chief Executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association,said:

It's heartening to hear the Secretary of Statetodayreiterating the Government's commitment, made in light of the Casey Commission's recommendations,to fast-trackingaccess to care and support for people with motor neurone disease. 

We hear time and time again of peoplewith MNDforced to battle a system that is slow, disjointedandtoocomplexto move quickly enough to support people with a rapidly progressing disease. 

This must change Ms Cooper's statement today suggests she agreesandthat there s willingness at the highest levels of Government totransformtheexperiencefor people with MND.Wemust now see that willingness turned intoaction,withrealsolutions implementednationallyand locally, in health and social care. |