Parkinson's provision

Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent gathered service user perspective and feedback about key areas of service provision for Parkinson’s disease in and around Stoke-on-Trent. This is after service users and professionals expressed their concerns at the lack of access to these services and the lack of confidence in staff such as GPs and Parkinson’s nurses. This resulted in patients not being able to cope well especially with different Parkinson’s patients having differ needs, and there is no patient centred approach. Healthwatch consulted with a few organisations such as the Neurological Alliance and Parkinson’s UK and other professionals that worked with patients to design a questionnaire. 250 questionnaires were distributed of which 116 were returned.

The findings show only 40% of respondents with advanced Parkinson’s agree that they are able to access services as they need to; 28% responded that their GP didn’t seem confident to offer advice about Parkinson’s and only 32% of those with advanced stage Parkinson’s describe it as well controlled. Another crucial finding was that 42% of respondents reported having had their mental health affected by the disease overall, in advanced patients this rose to 64%.

Healthwatch made several recommendations which are detailed in the report. Tiered support to be explored in order to ensure that those with advanced Parkinson’s get the help they need, and more help and advice should be more easily available to GP’s to help them to support Parkinson’s patients. Awareness of the condition should be heightened amongst hospital staff and Parkinson’s patients should be signposted to mental health services more effectively.