The UK lacks a single, accurate dataset on its neurology workforce, severely limiting the ability of health planners to address gaps in care for the one in six people affected by neurological conditions. A new report from the Association of British Neurologists warns that this data blindspot is contributing to major regional inequalities in access to specialist services.
| Read the report | Watch a 5 minute video summary of the report | Listen to an audio summary |
According to the report, available estimates suggest the UK has between 1.1 and 1.8 consultant neurologists per 100,000 people, but concerns about data quality mean even these figures are unreliable. By contrast, European countries report a median of 6.6 neurologists per 100,000 population. What limited data do exist indicate a marked postcode lottery, with more than a third of the UK neurology workforce based in south-east England, an area that serves only 14 percent of the population. Other regions remain significantly underserved.
The ABN highlights that the absence of robust workforce data makes it impossible to plan services that meet current and future demand. This has direct consequences for patients with conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and headache disorders, whose access to specialist care varies widely depending on where they live. Without accurate information, regional services are unable to plan effectively, and patients risk falling through gaps in provision.
| Sign up to the ACNR email newsletter here |
To address this, the ABN is calling for a comprehensive census of the multidisciplinary neurology workforce across the UK within the next two years. This would, for the first time, provide a clear national picture of consultant neurologists, specialist nurses, allied health professionals and support staff. The report urges support from government and the wider healthcare sector to deliver this work.
As an initial benchmark, the framework proposes a minimum of 1.6 whole-time equivalent consultant neurologists per 100,000 population to ensure a basic equitable level of service. No UK nation currently meets this threshold, and the figure is described as a starting point that will need to rise as better data become available and as the population ages.
Patients are being let down by lack of access to neurologists across the UK. We are unable to plan a sustainable neurology workforce that meets the needs of the population when we do not know how many neurologists we actually have. This is not just about numbers on a page – it’s about patients with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and headache disorders who face wildly different access to specialist care depending on where they live. Without accurate data regional services cannot plan effectively, and patients will continue to fall through the gaps – Professor Neil Robertson, President of the ABN, and Clinical Professor of Neurology at Cardiff University
The report also identifies major shortfalls in specialist nursing. For epilepsy, which affects around 937 per 100,000 people, England has just 0.4 specialist nurses per 100,000 population, far below NICE recommendations of 1.8. The ABN argues that evidence-based workforce planning is essential to meet growing demand and increasing therapeutic complexity in neurology.
This news item has been summarised using AI and checked by humans before publication. The audio and video was generated using AI.
Sources
Association of British Neurologists
| Sign up for our online community for neurology specialists |
