Parkinson's Disease

My colleague Sandy Mewies AM (Delyn) had a debate on Parkinson's Disease yesterday, and I used the occasion to make a call for a specialist Parkinson's Disease nurse in RCT:

Like my colleagues in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area, Christine Chapman and Jane Davidson, I have campaigned for a specialist Parkinson’s disease nurse to be employed by RCT Local Health Board, and we continue with the campaign. There are around 600 people in RCT with the disease, and the recommendation in terms of Parkinson’s nurses is that there should be approximately 250 patients per nurse, so, effectively, we should have two nurses in RCT. Many Parkinson’s disease sufferers in RCT have had access to a nurse in Cardiff in the past, although that has produced a very high burden on that nurse, and I am not sure whether the service is still available. There have been savings as a result of the employment of specialist nurses for Parkinson’s in terms of consultant time, as well as in terms of relieving much-needed pressure elsewhere. Therefore, I urge the Minister to encourage local health boards to support the employment of specialist nurses.