Graham Stuart MP backs Parkinson's UK campaign in East Riding
Wed 14th March 2018
Beverley and Holderness MP, Graham Stuart, is backing Parkinson’s UK campaign to improve care for constituents with Parkinson’s disease in Beverley and Holderness.
Parkinson’s UK claim that many people living with Parkinson’s across the constituency are being left without the vital support of a specialist nurse.
The charity has now launched a petition urging the East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to introduce a new community-based Parkinson’s specialist nurse for the East Riding, where it is estimated 889 people living with the condition have to travel to Hull to receive support.
Parkinson’s UK has also offered £90,000 in funding for the first two years of the proposed nurse service, on the understanding that the CCG will then continue the funding, but the money will only be available until the end of April.
The CCG have recently informed Graham that they welcome the support offered by Parkinson’s UK and will continue working with them to develop the services to meet the population’s needs.
Molly Horsburgh of Parkinson’s UK said “Parkinson’s nurses are essential to enabling people to manage this complex and fluctuating condition, but there are still not enough specialist nurse posts to meet the needs of people with Parkinson’s across the wider East Riding area.
The result is unnecessary strain on people affected by Parkinson’s and urgent changes must be made to address these problems.”
Graham said “I’ve been concerned to hear about the standard of Parkinson’s care in my constituency from a number of residents in recent months and I have taken this up with the East Riding of Yorkshire CCG on several occasions.
I was pleased to see that some practical measures have been taken to improve the service but concerns remain about the level of care being provided, particularly with the lack of a Parkinson’s nurse in the community, so I support the work Parkinson’s UK are doing and will work with them to ensure my constituents get the specialist care they need.”
More details on Parkinson’s UK’s campaign can be found at www.parkinsons.org.uk
