PDS and RCN join forces to promote specialist nurses

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and other leading health organisations have joined forces with the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) to campaign for better access to specialist nurses for people with long-term conditions such as Parkinson's.

As a result of the NHS deficit crisis in 2006, many specialist roles in nursing were lost, frozen or downgraded, according to the charity.

It added that support for such roles from the PDS meant the need for the service was underlined and very few Parkinson's nurses were affected.

Head of influence and service development at the PDS Lesley Carter said that Parkinson's disease nurses are "critical" to the continued good care of people who have to deal with the condition, though the "postcode lottery" which faces care means that people with Parkinson's are struggling to get this access to such facilities.

She continued: "Our Fair Care for Parkinson's campaign is designed to make sure that everyone with Parkinson's has access to a Parkinson's nurse wherever they live in the UK. And we will continue to campaign on a national and local level."

The RCN is under Royal Charter and has close to 400,000 members.

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