MPs call on government to take action during Parkinson's debate

On Thursday 1 May, Graeme Downie MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, led an impassioned debate on Parkinson's in Westminster.

His opening speech began with a poem by Parkinson’s UK campaigner and fundraiser, Bobbie Coelho, called ‘A jump too far’. This set the tone for the rest of the debate, people affected by Parkinson’s need better care, treatment and support and the community cannot wait any longer. 

MPs speak out

MPs from across the House of Commons stood and spoke about the experiences they heard at visits to local Parkinson’s UK groups, from their own family and loved ones or from individuals they had gotten to know through advice surgeries and correspondence.

They told parliament about the frustrations people affected by Parkinson’s experience, including waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. 

They talked about the hope, friendship and support that many people find through their local Parkinson’s UK groups and the fantastic support their constituents had received from our helpline and local advisers.

It was clear that the well informed and often emotional speeches by MPs had been driven and shaped by the power of people with Parkinson’s.

Issues raised in the debate included:

• the need for more funding for Parkinson’s research
• the importance of a Personal Independence Payment system that is accessible
• prescription charges and the need for the charge to be scrapped in England
• the need to boost the NHS Parkinson’s health workforce as part of the government’s NHS plans.

Health Minister responds

Ashley Dalton MP, the Minister for Public Health and Prevention who responded for the government, said that she would relay the concerns detailed by MPs about proposals to restrict access to PIP to ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions.

She agreed to meet with Graeme Downie to discuss Parkinson’s Connect, our pioneering programme for NHS professionals. Scaling up the programme would mean people with Parkinson's can get support from the point of diagnosis.

On the NHS health workforce, the minister said the government was working to ensure the NHS had the staff to meet increasingly complex health needs, and she paid tribute to Parkinson’s nurses saying that they were ‘worth their weight in gold’.

What next?

We'll work with Graeme Downie MP to follow up on the meetings offered by the minister.

We'll continue, with the support of campaigners, to ensure that MPs understand where improvements need to be made.