Health Minister announces £2.3m a year and dedicated team to improve neurology services
Thursday 08 October 2026
Patients living with neurological conditions across Northern Ireland are to benefit from an additional £2.3 million in annual funding aimed at increasing specialist treatment capacity and beginning to reduce lengthy waiting lists.
A dedicated Neurology Delivery Team will also be established to oversee improvements to services, following a major regional review which highlighted the need for reform in how neurological care is delivered.
Health Minister Robbie Butler announced the measures as he published the outcomes of a public consultation on the Regional Review of Neurology Services, acknowledging that patients have faced unacceptable delays, difficulties accessing specialist support and significant differences in the care available to them.
Minister acknowledges unacceptable waiting times
The announcement marks a commitment to begin addressing longstanding pressures affecting people with neurological conditions, although the Minister acknowledged that financial constraints mean the full recommendations of the review cannot yet be delivered.
Mr Butler said:
“For too long, many people living with neurological conditions have faced unacceptable waits for assessment and treatment, difficulties accessing specialist support and significant variation in the services available to them.
“This can no longer continue. The consultation responses, the work of the Regional Review and the powerful advocacy of patients, carers and voluntary sector organisations all point to the same conclusion: the case for reform is clear.
“I am therefore endorsing the overall strategic direction set out in the Review report and am determined that progress begins now."
Additional funding to increase treatment capacity
The Department of Health has allocated an additional £2.3 million in recurrent funding each year through its Elective Care Fund, providing an ongoing financial commitment rather than a one-off investment.
The money will be directed towards increasing neurology service capacity and beginning to address waiting lists, although the Department has not yet specified how many additional patients could be assessed or treated, or when improvements in waiting times might become evident.
The Minister acknowledged that the funding falls short of what would be required to implement every recommendation arising from the review.
He said:
“While I am unable to commit the level of funding required to fully deliver all of the Review's recommendations given the extreme financial pressures facing the Health and Social Care system, I am pleased to announce an additional £2.3million of recurrent funding each year from my Department’s Elective Care Fund, to increase neurology capacity and begin to reduce waiting lists."
Dedicated team to oversee service improvements
A new Neurology Delivery Team will be responsible for driving forward the review's recommendations and ensuring that planned changes are translated into practical improvements for patients.
Its initial priority will be to develop an implementation plan setting out clear milestones, specific actions and measures against which progress can be assessed.
The team will also provide strategic leadership, programme management and oversight as the reform programme progresses.
In the meantime, the Department's Regional Neurology Alliance, established last year to coordinate responses to immediate pressures in neurological care, will identify how the additional funding can best be used to expand capacity and tackle waiting lists.
That work will take account of relevant recommendations from the regional review while the new delivery arrangements are being established.
Patients and carers helped shape the review
The Regional Review of Neurology Services was the subject of a public consultation launched in May 2025 by former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.
Public engagement events were held at locations across Northern Ireland, giving people living with neurological conditions, their families, carers, healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations opportunities to contribute.
Their experiences helped inform the consultation findings and the Department's proposed direction for improving services.
The review and consultation have placed particular emphasis on the need for more consistent access to specialist neurological care, alongside improvements in how services respond to patients' needs.
Further investment remains a challenge
While the additional funding and establishment of a dedicated delivery team represent initial steps towards reform, the Minister has made clear that wider implementation will depend on the resources available to the health service.
The announcement does not establish a timetable for clearing existing waiting lists or confirm when patients will see measurable improvements in access to specialist appointments and treatment.
Mr Butler said:
“Through the funding secured, the work of the Neurology Delivery Team and continued partnership with patients, carers, clinicians and stakeholders, we will take the first important steps towards delivering more responsive, equitable and sustainable neurology services for the people of Northern Ireland."
The next significant development will be the creation of the implementation plan, which is expected to identify priorities and provide measurable targets for delivering improvements.
For patients and families who have experienced prolonged waits for neurological care, the central question will be how quickly the additional investment translates into appointments, treatment and more consistent specialist support.
The Department's full consultation analysis report, including the proposed next steps for implementing the review's recommendations, is available here.
