We are the champions

Sara Bassett, Rhian Lewis and Laura Edwards are Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists at Hywel Dda University Health Board. Together, they care for around 1,000 people living with Parkinson’s across Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Left to right: Laura Edwards, Rhian Evans, Sara Bassett

They've pioneered the Parkinson’s Champions programme at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli and Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. The programme launched in 2023 and aims to improve general understanding and awareness of Parkinson’s among staff who come into contact with people living with the condition when they’re in hospital.

Colleagues from our Service Improvement and Education teams have contributed to the sessions by delivering a presentation and have maintained their supportive relationship with the team, following the progress of the initiative.

To become a Parkinson's Champion, staff take training which focuses on the different symptoms and treatments of the condition; the need to ensure people with Parkinson’s get their time critical medication on time, every time; and how Parkinson’s can impact everyone differently.

Parkinson's Champions are also invited to a yearly update session. They use this time to share best practice, learn from each other, share what changes have been made on wards, and reflect on both positive and negative developments

Multidisciplinary need

Nurses and healthcare support workers, and nurses in emergency departments and rehabilitation wards were the initial focus of the training, but any health professional with an interest in Parkinson’s can take part and become a Champion. Occupational therapists, a mental health nurse, physiotherapists and pharmacists have also signed up, highlighting the multidisciplinary breadth of the programme.

So far, they have trained more than 50 Parkinson’s Champions across both hospital sites. The training is delivered on 1 day a week for 4 weeks and involves guest speakers from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy backgrounds, and from Parkinson’s UK Cymru.

People living with Parkinson’s are also involved so those taking part in the training can hear first-hand about people’s lived experiences after being admitted to hospital.

Positive feedback received

Feedback from attendees has so far been super positive. A lot of the ward staff reported that they knew about the need for people with Parkinson’s to receive their time critical medication on time, but many felt they didn’t really know why until they attended the sessions. Motor fluctuations is a subject that often comes up. Some ward-based staff didn’t realise how quickly someone’s condition could change depending on their medication regime, diet, level of hydration or their mobility.

Taking part in the programme has enabled ward-based staff to realise that, just because a person with Parkinson’s might be able to walk to the bathroom unassisted in the morning, it didn't mean they could do the same later that day.

That can also help in providing a more tailored and personalised approach to care. Patients and relatives themselves are also pleased that the programme is taking place and hope it's making a real difference.

The nurses' ambition

Sara, Rhian and Laura’s ambition is to ensure all ward areas at the Prince Philip Hospital and Glangwili Hospital have at least 1 Parkinson’s Champion. As well as developing support materials like posters and quizzes for colleagues, they’re also planning to develop a training module for health professionals so hospital-based staff across the Health Board can improve their understanding of Parkinson’s and ultimately ensure people with the condition have a better experience in hospital.