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by NEIL GREENLEES
 LOCAL
Parkinsons Disease sufferer has emphasised the need for a nurse
specialising in the condition to be based in Lisburn. Mr. Jim
Henry made his comments to Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson
when he travelled to the House of Commons to attend the launch
of an inquiry into the level of access to health and social
services available to people living with the condition.
Mr. Henry who was accompanied by Mrs. Irene
Falloon said Mr. Donaldson pledged his support for the
appointment of a local specialist nurse after hearing more than
350 people are currently living with Parkinsons in the South
Eastern Trust area. The All Parliamentary Parkinson's Group (APPG)
inquiry is being launched following a recent survey conducted by
the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) involving over 13,000 of
its members.
The survey revealed a third of people across
the UK diagnosed with Parkinson's in the last year were not
given clear information about the condition, and the majority of
people living with Parkinson's had not been assessed for or
received key therapies such as speech and language therapy and
occupational therapy.
The survey also showed that more than a
quarter of people living with Parkinson's had never spoken to a
specialist nurse. Nearly a third of people with Parkinson's who
need home help aren't receiving it. The APPG will investigate
why these inequalities continue to exist and provide an overall
picture of the scale and nature of the barriers to accessing
services for people with Parkinson's, their families and carers.
Mr. Donaldson said it was vital anyone with
experience of accessing health and social services because of
Parkinsons responded to the inquiry to ensure "a solid case can
be put forward to the Government to instigate changes in Lagan
Valley.
"I am currently compiling information from
local people who suffer from Parkinson's. I will be responding
to the APPG's inquiry and urge anyone affected by Parkinson's,
or with an experience of Parkinson's services to respond as
well," he added.
neil.greenlees@jpress.co.uk Ulster Star
19/12/2008
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