Parkinson’s: Patient Care in Newcastle-under-Lyme

11 Feb

Question

The Question session in the House of Commons primarily revolved around improving patient care for individuals with Parkinson's disease in Newcastle-under-Lyme. It was initiated by Adam Jogee, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, who queried the steps taken by the government toward this goal. The Minister, Ashley Dalton, responded by acknowledging an inherited backlog in neurology services and pointed to the elective reform plan and NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme as solutions aimed at improving services for Parkinson's patients. Adam Jogee further emphasized the need for ongoing support and advocated for adding Parkinson's to the medical exemption list, bringing local advocacy efforts into the national spotlight.

Outcome

The session concluded with Minister Dalton agreeing to meet with Adam Jogee and his constituent, Julie Hibbs, to explore avenues for enhanced support for Parkinson's patients. In addition, there was an acknowledgment of the importance of integrating specialized care, such as retinal scans for early Parkinson's detection, into the broader NHS framework, highlighting a progressive view on medical technology integration into patient care.

Key Contributions

Adam Jogee

Labour

Inquired about improvements in Parkinson's care access in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Mr Speaker

Welcomed the Minister to her role.

Ashley DaltonMinister

Acknowledged the inherited backlog in neurology services from a previous government.

Shockat Adam

Ind

Highlighted the potential of retinal scans for early Parkinson’s detection.

Original Transcript

Adam Jogee

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Lab

Question

UIN: 902677

1. What steps he has taken to improve access to patient care for people with Parkinson’s disease in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Mr Speaker

I welcome the Minister to her place.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Ashley Dalton

I thank my hon. Friend for his continued support for people with Parkinson’s disease, a condition that I know is close to his family. This Government inherited long waits for neurology services, with only 53.

4% of patients, including those with Parkinson’s, waiting less than 18 weeks for a referral in June.

Our elective reform plan will free up over 1 million appointments each year for those who really need them, including patients with Parkinson’s, and NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme continues to work with 27 specialised centres in England, including at University Hospitals of North Midlands.

Adam Jogee

I thank the Minister for her answer and congratulate her on her appointment. Will she join me in paying tribute to my constituent Julie Hibbs, from Bradwell in Newcastle-under-Lyme, who has long campaigned for support for people with Parkinson’s, like her?

Will the Minister meet me and Julie to discuss the merits of adding Parkinson’s to the medical exemption list, and to discuss how we ensure that those with Parkinson’s get the support they need and deserve?

Ashley Dalton

I am happy to meet my hon. Friend and his constituent to discuss all of those matters of concern—I look forward to doing so as soon as my diary will allow.

Shockat Adam

Leicester South

Ind

The eyes are not only the windows to the soul, but a window to our health.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the team at Moorfields eye hospital who, alongside a team at University College London, have done some work on a simple retinal scan that can detect Parkinson’s disease seven years prior to any symptoms.

Does the Minister agree that optometry, eye care and eye health should be at the forefront of NHS England’s plan for integrated care, and that we should bring forward a national eye health strategy?

Ashley Dalton

Yes, I would be more than happy to support that. That is part and parcel of this Government’s aim to shift the NHS from hospitals to community.

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