Joint letter calls on three main political party leaders to prioritise rehabilitation services

The CRA highlights how vital these services are to meeting people's mental, physical, social and communication needs and is calling for them to be at the heart of developing future NHS services.

The alliance, which comprises more than 60 charities and professional bodies, is asking the next government to:

• Commit to the expansion of the rehabilitation workforce in the community making use of the full workforce available, including allied health professionals, mental health experts, nurses, support workers, exercise professionals, and the voluntary sector. It is essential that rehabilitation is given priority. 
• Make a commitment to rehabilitation as an equal pillar of health care to medicines and surgery and reflect this in an updated NHS Constitution and other NHSE planning guidance Mandates. 
• Mandate integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve access to high quality community rehabilitation services for their populations with a single accountable lead in each ICB for rehabilitation and reflect this in their planning guidance.

Co-chair of the CRA, Sara Hazzard said: 'Rehabilitation could and should be the backbone of the NHS. It stops the revolving door of people needing to be readmitted to hospital by ensuring they are fit enough to leave and supporting people in the community to continue to make full recoveries and manage their long-term conditions.

These services have been undervalued and under-funded for years, which has created more dependence on emergency services and on social care, which is now on its knees

We will continue to use our united voice to gain political commitment to investing in and delivering universal access to high-quality rehabilitation.'