Neurological Conditions: estimated prevalence in Scotland in 2026
This report presents the number of people registered with a general practice in Scotland and diagnosed with one or more of 25 specific neurological conditions in 2026.
4. Discussion
Neurological Framework data commitment. This Framework formally concluded in March 2025. A final report on the Framework (SG, 2026) summarised Framework achievements by commitment, including Commitment 12 covering data. Among the evidence of achievement cited was the 2022 estimated prevalence report (SG, 2022). As discussed in the Background section, this 2026 report builds on the 2022 report to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the prevalence of neurological conditions in Scotland, based on general practice recorded diagnoses.
Primary Care Intelligence Service for Scotland (PCIS). As discussed in the Methodology section, the PCIS can provide near comprehensive coverage of general practice registered patients. This is encouraging for any future requests for data extracts covering neurological conditions.
Hospital data. As discussed in the Methodology section, hospital admissions data were not included in this report because of the comprehensiveness of the general practice dataset. However, hospital data have an important role to play in building a picture of the prevalence of neurological conditions. Many people with neurological conditions are diagnosed in hospital outpatient clinics. Timely feedback of those diagnoses to general practices would improve the completeness and accuracy of general practice data.
Epilepsy: Data Developments. The final report on the Neurological Framework (SG, 2026) discussed progress on developing the Scottish Epilepsy Register established in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. This has demonstrated improved monitoring of people with epilepsy, thereby improving safety and timely intervention, for example, for women with epilepsy who become pregnant and for high-risk patients with epilepsy who attend Accident and Emergency departments. A scoping exercise is under way to explore the national adoption of this model. Also, in 2023, epilepsy was added to the PHS annual General Practice - disease prevalence data visualisation dashboard (PHS, 2025a). The availability of this annual general practice data will complement data available from any wider roll-out of the epilepsy register.