Scottish Parkinson's warning for new NHS standards

31 July 2009

The Parkinson's Disease Society has issued a stark warning to the Scottish Government to ensure Scotland does not repeat the errors of the rest of the UK when implementing new NHS standards for neurological conditions.

The new Quality Improvement Scotland standards

The new NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) Clinical Standards, due out in August, specify that people with Parkinson's should:

• be diagnosed and have regular reviews with an expert consultant
• have ongoing local access to a full multidisciplinary service including a specialist nurse
• receive information and support to empower them to make decisions about their care

But a recently published Inquiry report from the Westminster All Party Parliamentary Group for Parkinson's disease shows that the NHS has failed to resource and implement similar guidance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This has resulted in limited information for people with Parkinson's, poor access to expert nursing and therapy and a lack of respite for carers - all underpinned by a failure to deliver a 'joined up' approach to care.

The Fair Care for Parkinson's campaign

To ensure all UK Governments properly implement Parkinson's standards, and that QIS is properly implemented in Scotland, the Parkinson's Disease Society has launched a new campaign, Fair Care for Parkinson's

Campaign aims in Scotland

Through Fair Care for Parkinson's, in Scotland we will be campaigning for:

• effective monitoring to ensure that Parkinson's services meet national guidelines and new QIS standards
• strong national and local leadership, to ensure that people with Parkinson's get the services they need
• action and resources to ensure that enough skilled staff are in place to provide the full range of services and care

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