Health and care professionals came out in force for World Parkinson's Day 2024

Wow! What a World Parkinson's Day it was!
Here's a round up of just some of the action, online and in person.

On the ground: from windows to wards

From hospital trolley dashes to table tennis, healthcare teams really took inspiration from the Parkinson's community to raise awareness, several of them joining forces with local Parkinson's UK branches to deliver their activities.

Nurse Tincy Jose hosting the World Parkinson's Day awareness stand at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital lit up blue. See the building looking resplendent in its blue lights on X, formally known as Twitter. 

Also making it blue with lights was University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, while their Specialist Parkinson's Team created an information display and stand to raise awareness. Visit X to have a look at the hospital lit up blue and to see the Specialist Parkinson's Team at their stand, along with Parkinson's UK's Time Critical Medication Programme Manager, Jean Almond.

NHS Orkney, NHS Belfast, The Walton Centre NHS Trust, Liverpool, the Bolton Neuro team at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust also hosted awareness stands at their sites. 

See the NHS Orkney stand; see the NHS Belfast stand; see the Walton Centre stand; and see the Bolton stand, all on X.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had table tennis in the atrium of the James Cook Hospital; while North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust held an information stand with the Tees Valley Support Group at North Tees Hospital.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust celebrated their close partnership with the local Parkinson's community and all that they have achieved together in an article on their website. They also had plenty going on across their sites at Stoke Mandeville, Wycombe and Amersham with different teams holding ward trolley dashes and awareness stands. Read about the Buckinghamshire activity on the Trust's website.

The action didn't all take place at hospitals, however. Care homes got involved with their residents and staff. Falkland Grange Care Home in Newbury held a pool tournament alongside a coffee morning, and Chartwell Manor Care Home in Aylesbury had a cream tea and a quiz. Leighton's Opticians in Thatcham dressed their window in blue and had a blue cake sale!

The 2024 World Parkinson's Day map shows all activities that were submitted to Parkinson's UK. You can view the map here.

Online: Twitter and beyond

The physical activity community, never missing an opportunity to get people moving, shared inspirational messages and useful exercises online throughout the day.

Dr Julie Jones, Associate Dean: Health Sciences and Specialist Physiotherapist, shared a Parkinson's awareness message on behalf of Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Watch her video here.

The Parkinson's Excellence Network Exercise Hub posted an exercise video every hour. Browse their X timeline to see the exercises.

Neuro Heroes exercise team held an online challenge and shared a video of what their Heroes had been up to during the day. Watch the Neuro Heroes video on X.

Other professionals used their online platforms to share their thoughts on what the day means to them.

Dr Jonny Acheson, Director of Engagement within the Excellence Network's Clinical Leadership Team, and several other professionals living with Parkinson's created their annual video, showing the reality and positive impact of physical activity on their journeys with the condition. Watch their video here.

Dr Rosie Varden, Geriatrics Registrar, collected her World Parkinson's Day reflections together for the British Geriatric Society (BGS) blog. In the article, she talks about the importance of awareness days like this to ensure that lived experience is not lost, and can contribute to clinicians' understanding of the effect of the condition on people. Read Rosie's blog on the BGS website.

However you marked the day, you really played your part in making a difference, and we're looking forward to you helping Parkinson's UK to make World Parkinson's Day 2025 even bigger and better!