Nurse to help those with Parkinson’s

The new post brings the number of nurses up to three and has been made possible by the joint efforts of Parkinson’s UK, local Parkinson’s champions and Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The local Parkinson’s group, supported by Parkinson’s UK, has worked to ensure that this additional post was funded.

Maurice Hunting, from Dunstable, whose wife June has Parkinson’s, said: “My wife and I have been so well supported by Debbie Blake, our Parkinson’s nurse. She has made a huge difference to our lives. However, we know that Debbie does not have the capacity to see everyone locally who needs her.

“This is why we are so delighted with the decision to fund a further nurse so that every person with Parkinson’s in the area can have access to the same indispensable care.”

There are an estimated 876 people with Parkinson’s in the Bedfordshire area.

Parkinson’s nurses significantly improve patient satisfaction as well as providing savings to the local health economy. On average a nurse can save £43,812 in reducing the number of consultant appointments, £80,000 in unplanned hospital admissions and £147,021 in days spent in hospital by providing care in local settings.

A community based service means that clinics can be held in a local GP practice, making the service more accessible to patients.