People with Parkinson's can have their say in Parliament

The workings of Parliament remain a mystery to most, but the launch of a new inquiry means some people with Parkinson's will soon have the chance to influence politicians face-to-face.

Our Parliamentary Advisor, Caroline Weston, has been working hard to help set up the inquiry which will investigate whether NHS Continuing Care – which provides funded care for those with severe health needs – is working for people with Parkinson's.

It's my job to try and make sure our politicians are considering the needs of people with Parkinson's – a challenging task to say the least. But we're lucky enough to be able to work with a group of politicians who meet specifically to talk about Parkinson's and the issues around it.

All Party Parliamentary Groups


Baroness Gale
All Party Parliamentary Groups, or APPGs, are informal groups of MPs and peers who meet up to discuss and champion lots of different issues ranging from Parkinson's to Albania to zoos.

The APPG on Parkinson's is run by the politicians, but we provide them with information and opportunities to raise awareness of Parkinson's.

Chaired by Baroness Gale (pictured right), whose father had Parkinson's, the group has more than 40 members and many have their own personal connection to the condition.

When we met with the group last year, we told them about how getting access to this care is a real issue for people with Parkinson's – in fact it's the third most common reason that people call our helpline.

Inquiry for people with Parkinson's


The APPG agreed that this situation is not acceptable, so they decided to hold an inquiry on the issue for people with Parkinson's, and how to make the current system for providing NHS Continuing Care work better for them.

When the inquiry launches next month, we'll be asking people with Parkinson's to tell us about their experiences of NHS Continuing Care and how they think it could be improved. Some people will even have the chance to go to Parliament and talk to the politicians directly.

Keep an eye on our website in early March when we'll tell you how you can get involved.

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