Yvette Cooper pays tribute to Rob Burrow as she pledges fast-track care for MND patients
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a new fast-track support pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND), as part of a broader effort to reform social care in England. The announcement was made during a visit to a Leeds care centre named after the late rugby league star Rob Burrow, who died in 2024 from complications of the disease, and follows renewed government attention to social care reform after Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged cross-party cooperation on the issue a week earlier.
The pathway aims to address "delays and fragmentation" in support for MND patients and will be developed with the Motor Neurone Disease Association, along with patients, carers and health and social care professionals, as the first phase of wider reforms. Cooper praised Burrow's legacy in raising awareness, alongside his family and former teammate Sir Kevin Sinfield, while MND Association chief executive Tanya Curry welcomed the commitment but called for it to be turned into concrete action. The move accompanies Health Secretary Andy Burnham's decision to bring forward Baroness Louise Casey's social care commission from 2028 to next year and to begin reforming the care workforce.
In short
- Cooper unveils fast-track care pathway for MND patients in England
- Announcement made at Leeds centre named after Rob Burrow
- Part of wider social care reforms, including an accelerated Casey commission
Explained simply
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive illness that damages the nerves controlling movement, speech and breathing. People with MND often need increasing support from both health services and social care, which helps with daily activities and care outside hospital.
Rob Burrow was a rugby league player who died from MND in 2024. He and his former teammate Kevin Sinfield helped raise public awareness of the disease, while the Motor Neurone Disease Association supports people affected by it and campaigns for better care. The wider debate is about how health and social care services in England can provide joined-up support as people’s needs change.