Congratulations to our victorious 15-strong team of trekkers reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at the weekend.
Our team climbed 5,895 metres to reach the peak of Africa’s highest mountain. They've raised £60,000 so far with money still pouring in.
Have you ever dreamed of cycling through Vietnam and Cambodia, trekking through Jordan or exploring The Lost City of Machu Picchu? Come and join us next year on an overseas trip of a lifetime.
We will be going to Trek Jordan 7-15 April 2012; Trek Peru 21-30 September 2012; and Cycle Vietnam to Cambodia 14-25 November 2012.
If you're interested in finding out about what to expect on an overseas trip or have any questions, come along to our next Overseas Events Information Day on Saturday 11 February 2012 at our head office in London.
Fundraiser Roddy Lee, age 56, from Letchworth in Hertfordshire was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2007. He has trekked both in the Sahara and Nepal for us.
Watch a short film of Trek Nepal made by Roddy.
If you can’t make it to the open day but would like to find out more, give our Events team a call on 020 7932 1328 or email events@parkinsons.org.uk
Do you feel inspired? Come and join us!
Many nurses 'expecting to lose job'
Findings from an employment poll released last week by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) worryingly state that some 15,000 nurses and healthcare assistants expect to be made redundant in the next 12 months.
The survey of around 8,000 staff included more than 6,000 nurses and healthcare assistants working in the NHS, and demonstrates the growing impact the current financial squeeze is having on the healthcare service.
In addition to recruitment freezes, unfilled posts and ward closures, more than half of nurses (52%) said they were now too busy to provide the level of care they would like, with 32% saying the quality of patient care is going down.
Nurses are also working extra hours. 57% say they do so each shift, or at least several times a week.
We welcome the news that the RCN has tabled an amendment calling for guaranteed safe staffing levels in advance of the decision on the Health and Social Care Bill, which is being made today in the House of Lords, and we anticipate the outcome.
Our Protect Parkinson's nurses campaign which launched in July is designed to protect and grow the vital front line work that specialist Parkinson's nurses carry out across the UK. These statistics are therefore concerning when considering the impact that cuts or reduced staffing would have for people with Parkinson's.
Despite the Government wanting to protect services, should future cuts be implemented, we are likely to see patients experiencing longer waiting times, poor care and a worse NHS system. This will have a devastating impact on anyone affected by Parkinson's.
You can support our ongoing campaign to protect the vital frontline services of Parkinson's nurses by visiting parkinsons.org.uk/faircare
What do you think about the threat to nurse positions? Share your views with us.
The survey of around 8,000 staff included more than 6,000 nurses and healthcare assistants working in the NHS, and demonstrates the growing impact the current financial squeeze is having on the healthcare service.
In addition to recruitment freezes, unfilled posts and ward closures, more than half of nurses (52%) said they were now too busy to provide the level of care they would like, with 32% saying the quality of patient care is going down.
Nurses are also working extra hours. 57% say they do so each shift, or at least several times a week.
We welcome the news that the RCN has tabled an amendment calling for guaranteed safe staffing levels in advance of the decision on the Health and Social Care Bill, which is being made today in the House of Lords, and we anticipate the outcome.
Our Protect Parkinson's nurses campaign which launched in July is designed to protect and grow the vital front line work that specialist Parkinson's nurses carry out across the UK. These statistics are therefore concerning when considering the impact that cuts or reduced staffing would have for people with Parkinson's.
Despite the Government wanting to protect services, should future cuts be implemented, we are likely to see patients experiencing longer waiting times, poor care and a worse NHS system. This will have a devastating impact on anyone affected by Parkinson's.
You can support our ongoing campaign to protect the vital frontline services of Parkinson's nurses by visiting parkinsons.org.uk/faircare
What do you think about the threat to nurse positions? Share your views with us.
The future of care and support - share your views
What priorities do you think the Government needs to focus on to improve the current care and support system?
The Department of Health is calling for views on the future of care and support, on its website Caring for the future: shared ambitions for care and support.
Feedback will help inform a Government White Paper on social care reform, and a progress report on funding reform that will be published in spring 2012.
This is part of the 'next steps' discussion – building on the Dilnot report and the Law Commission report on reform – not just of funding and law, but on how to get quality, prevention and personalisation embedded in a newly reformed English care system.
The consultation is scheduled to end on 2 December, and we're really keen to hear from people affected by Parkinson's across the UK to get your views on what we should be telling the Government.
Similarly, an inquiry into social care by the influential Health and Social Care Committee in England is looking at the 'postcode lottery' for care. The deadline for this is 26 October.
We're campaigning to end the care crisis, calling on the Government for urgent reform of the care and support system.
Older and disabled people, and their families, are going without essential care and often face catastrophic care bills. This is why we're working with 50 other charities as part of the Care and Support Alliance, to call for reform of adult social care.
If you live in England, you can use our simple online form to contact your MP and tell them why we need urgent changes to the care system in England and why action must be taken now.
Share your views on social care reform below.
The Department of Health is calling for views on the future of care and support, on its website Caring for the future: shared ambitions for care and support.
Feedback will help inform a Government White Paper on social care reform, and a progress report on funding reform that will be published in spring 2012.
This is part of the 'next steps' discussion – building on the Dilnot report and the Law Commission report on reform – not just of funding and law, but on how to get quality, prevention and personalisation embedded in a newly reformed English care system.
The consultation is scheduled to end on 2 December, and we're really keen to hear from people affected by Parkinson's across the UK to get your views on what we should be telling the Government.
Similarly, an inquiry into social care by the influential Health and Social Care Committee in England is looking at the 'postcode lottery' for care. The deadline for this is 26 October.
We're campaigning to end the care crisis, calling on the Government for urgent reform of the care and support system.
Older and disabled people, and their families, are going without essential care and often face catastrophic care bills. This is why we're working with 50 other charities as part of the Care and Support Alliance, to call for reform of adult social care.
If you live in England, you can use our simple online form to contact your MP and tell them why we need urgent changes to the care system in England and why action must be taken now.
Share your views on social care reform below.
Parkinson's UK at the Lib Dem conference last week
Last week was a busy time for members of our Policy and Campaigns team, who found themselves bustling around Birmingham for the annual Liberal Democrat party conference.
As well as providing the opportunity for people with Parkinson's and charity representatives to meet with key politicians, policy makers and opinion formers, the conference enabled us to increase awareness of Parkinson's through our unique 'rigidity machine' at our exhibition stand.
The machine emulates the rigidity experienced by people with Parkinson's. This allowed visitors to engage with a key physical aspect of the condition and helped them experience just one of the associated symptoms of Parkinson's.
A highlight of the conference came when an Early Day Motion on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Work Capability Assessments was passed. This puts the onus on Lib Dem ministers to oppose an arbitrary time of a year for some claimants to receive ESA. And it helps to maintain pressure on the Government in regards to current concerns surrounding people with genuine medical conditions being denied access to vital benefits.
As well as attending various fringe events, we also hosted our own, in collaboration with Arthritis UK and The Stroke Association.
At our fringe event - called 'Mind the gap - How can we bring health and social care together in the new NHS' - senior panel members discussed issues such as current social care needs, gaps that exist in accessing care, and barriers with funding and integration between health and social care professionals.
A final key development was Minister of State for Care Services, Paul Burstow MP acknowledging the need for clinical neurology networks and clinical advice for neurology within the NHS Commissioning Board.
We're expecting just as gruelling a schedule at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week. And we can only hope for equally positive outcomes.
Tell us what you think about the passing of the Employment and Support Allowance motion below, or email us at pr@parkinsons.org.uk
As well as providing the opportunity for people with Parkinson's and charity representatives to meet with key politicians, policy makers and opinion formers, the conference enabled us to increase awareness of Parkinson's through our unique 'rigidity machine' at our exhibition stand.
The machine emulates the rigidity experienced by people with Parkinson's. This allowed visitors to engage with a key physical aspect of the condition and helped them experience just one of the associated symptoms of Parkinson's.
A highlight of the conference came when an Early Day Motion on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Work Capability Assessments was passed. This puts the onus on Lib Dem ministers to oppose an arbitrary time of a year for some claimants to receive ESA. And it helps to maintain pressure on the Government in regards to current concerns surrounding people with genuine medical conditions being denied access to vital benefits.
As well as attending various fringe events, we also hosted our own, in collaboration with Arthritis UK and The Stroke Association.
At our fringe event - called 'Mind the gap - How can we bring health and social care together in the new NHS' - senior panel members discussed issues such as current social care needs, gaps that exist in accessing care, and barriers with funding and integration between health and social care professionals.
A final key development was Minister of State for Care Services, Paul Burstow MP acknowledging the need for clinical neurology networks and clinical advice for neurology within the NHS Commissioning Board.
We're expecting just as gruelling a schedule at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week. And we can only hope for equally positive outcomes.
Tell us what you think about the passing of the Employment and Support Allowance motion below, or email us at pr@parkinsons.org.uk
The cost of caring
A new report out this week reveals that 70% of over 60s looking after loved ones said being a carer had damaged their health.
The UK's 6 million carers are made up of around half aged over 50 and 1.5 million over the age of 60. Of the 639 60-94 year-old carers surveyed, 68.8% said being a carer had damaged their psychological well being and two-thirds had a disability themselves.
This raises huge concerns about the issue of older carers battling their own deteriorating health without enough support from the NHS.
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, who published the report, now wants GPs to give health checks and depression screening to carers once a year along with home visits, dependent on their responsibilities.
While this report focuses on older carers, it does raise awareness of some of the challenges faced by carers generally in accessing the help, support and information they need.
Despite this, many carers remain unaware of benefits and social care services available to them. Support and information and access to respite for carers is a key theme of our campaigning work, including our Fair Care for Parkinson's campaign.
As part of the Care and Support Alliance, we're currently working with 50 other charities to call for urgent reform of adult social care - which would provide more rights for carers.
Our e-action campaign has begun. We're calling for the public to write to their MP to tell them why we need urgent changes to the care system in England and end the care crisis.
Carers save the economy billions, and it is vital that they are sufficiently supported.
Are you a carer? Share your views with us here or email pr@parkinsons.org.uk
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