All of us across the Five Towns have been inspired by our local hero Rob Burrow – his fight with Motor Neurone Disease and his incredible fundraising alongside his family and Sir Kevin Sinfield to help others with MND.
As Rob’s local MP, it has been an honour to support him and his family over the years. But it’s also why when I became Health Secretary I wanted the government to do more to help those with Motor Neurone Disease and their families when going through some of the most difficult times.
I made sure one of my first official visits as Health Secretary was to the inspirational MND centre in Seacroft, built through the mammoth fundraising efforts from Rob and Kevin. And I made clear MND families must be one of the first priorities for our new social care reforms.
MND families have to face both a devastating medical diagnosis and really serious social care challenges. Worrying about things like home adaptations and carer support at the same time as dealing with the terrible distress of the disease can be completely overwhelming. Yet too often the system makes it even harder. Families get passed from pillar to post facing assessment after assessment and long delays before they get the care and support they need. That has to change. Anyone with an experience of MND knows that every day counts, less time dealing with complex bureaucratic systems means more time with loved ones.
That is why I have announced that fast track social care for MND patients and their families will be in the first phase of the new social care reforms that Andy Burnham wants to see.
The Prime Minister has asked Baroness Louise Casey to accelerate her review into the reforms needed to build a broader future national care service because we know the current system isn’t working for families, care workers, communities or our NHS. But we also need to make progress on some first steps – including better support for care workers, better coordination on dementia care and the new social care fast track we are planning for MND.
The government will be working this year with families, the MND Association, local councils and the NHS to draw up the new fast track arrangements. I also want the work to be inspired by the same principles that are at the heart of the Rob Burrow Centre. Because what they are doing in Seacroft is not only bringing health and wider care support together in one place, they also put the whole family as well as those with MND at the heart of everything they do.
That centre in Seacroft is a true testament to Rob and his family. Their absolute determination to ensure that care and compassion could be provided for all families must be an inspiration to us all. That is how we ensure that Rob’s legacy lives on.
