services which could support them. A new nurse is urgently needed to support Marie Haywood who currently
covers all the clinics at RSH and PRH, as well as supporting inpatients.
The
Parkinson’s
UK
team
have
spent
several
months
trying
to
work
with
the
Trust
to
get
information
about
the
situation
but
without
success.
A
formal
complaint
was
therefore
raised
and
asked
when
the
post
will
be
advertised,
why
it
has
taken
so
long
and
timescales
around
the
recruitment
process.
The
complaint
was
also
sent
to
the
five
MPs covering the county.
Following
the
complaint,
the
Trust
proposed
a
meeting
which
was
attended
by
Branch
Committee
Members
Mike
McGill
and
Tony
Day,
along
with
David
Swindells
Area
Development
Officer
from
Parkinson’s
UK.
There
was
recognition
that
the
service
was
understaffed
but
no
offer
of
funding
was
made.
We
await
a
formal
response
to
our complaint.
HealthWatch Shropshire
There
is
some
irony
following
our
frustrations
around
the
Parkinson’s
Nurse
Specialist
post
that
we
are
being
asked: What would you do to make the NHS better in Shropshire?
The
Government
is
investing
an
extra
£20bn
a
year
in
the
NHS
until
2023.
HealthWatch
Shropshire
is
asking
for
local views to help decide how that money should be spent in our local NHS.
They
are
seeking
ideas
and
experiences
to
help
make
local
health
services
better
for
everyone
in
Shropshire
including:
How would you make it easier for people to take control of their own health and wellbeing?
What would you do to make support better for people with long-term conditions?
For
more
information
and
details
of
the
survey,
visit
www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk/what-would-you-do
or
call
the HealthWatch team on 01743 237884.
Scrap prescription charges for Parkinson’s
For working-age people with Parkinson's, prescription charges are yet another hurdle they must contend with, and
on 1 April 2019 prescription charges increase to £9. The medical exemption list, which determines who pays for
prescriptions, is over 50 years old and is very out of date. It leaves out people with several long-term conditions
that rely on medication to keep well, including Parkinson's. For more information about what Parkinson’s UK are
doing to try to scrap prescription charges for Parkinson’s and what you can do, visit
www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/prescription-charges-set-rise-ps9
And finally, Fred’s thoughts...
When you feel too old to do a thing – do it!
