Dr Neil Hudson MP has shown his support for the Parkinson's community ahead of World Parkinson's Day on 11th April and reflected on how every Parkinson's journey is different.
Dr Hudson attended a Parkinson’s UK recent parliamentary session and heard that:
- More needs to be done to join-up care, so people with the condition can navigate their way between the different specialists and therapists they need to see.
- Newly diagnosed people should receive more enough information about the condition.
- More than half of people with Parkinson’s who are admitted to hospital are not consistently receiving their vital medication on time, causing worsened symptoms.
- And people with Parkinson’s can wait a long time to see health professionals, where they are able to get an appointment.
- Without targeted financial help for the additional cost of their condition through the cost of living crisis, many people with Parkinson’s are struggling to cover the basics.
With more than 40 symptoms, every Parkinson’s journey is unique, making it hard for the public and health professionals to understand without first-hand experience.
The drop-in session in Westminster was designed to start conversations and increase understanding among MPs and peers of what it’s like to live with Parkinson’s.
Around 153,000 people in the UK have Parkinson’s. It is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and currently there is no cure.
Dr Hudson met members of the Parkinson’s community who live or care for people with the condition with a wide range of symptoms, they explained that the healthcare they receive doesn’t always meet their needs.
Dr Hudson is now looking at how he can work with Government to publish more details on their NHS workforce plan to ensure enough of the right specialists are trained to provide high quality care for people with Parkinson’s.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
“It was incredibly powerful to hear people telling their personal Parkinson’s story and just how essential it is to get access to the right healthcare for this complex condition. The challenges that people face in accessing timely, high-quality Parkinson's care demonstrate that we need to go further to improve lives.
“From help with household finances to more joined-up approach to receiving timely medication, helping those with Parkinson's and their loved ones is a high priority for me.
“I have experience of this debilitating disease in my family so I appreciate just how important it is to support the wider Parkinson's community and raise awareness of all the brilliant charities like Parkinson's UK."
Laura Cockram, Head of Campaigns at Parkinson’s UK, said:
“We’re extremely grateful to Dr Hudson for attending our awareness event for World Parkinson’s Day, and his pledge to support constituents affected by the condition.
“There isn’t just one face of Parkinson’s and there isn’t just one journey. Parkinson’s affects everyone differently and the services people with Parkinson’s access need to reflect that.
“We hope that through talking about Parkinson’s, we can start to address that. If more people understand Parkinson’s, they can support people in their local communities, join our cause to improve health and care services and the benefits system, help fundraise, and, ultimately, get us closer to a cure that everyone with the condition is so desperate for.”
