My View: World Parkinson's Day Drop In

I wholeheartedly share our Government’s ambition to improve health outcomes for people living with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, and I have seen first hand just how difficult living with these conditions can be. I was actually lucky enough to attend an event in Parliament a while back in honour of World Parkinson’s Day and meet with people affected by the condition. I know that there are nearly 153,000 people living with Parkinson’s and it is an unpredictable condition that can put people’s lives on hold as they grapple with the terrible symptoms it can bring. I want to pay tribute to the invaluable work of NHS clinicians, dedicated care workers, and charities like Parkinson’s UK who ran the event I attended, who work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of people affected by this disease.

Parkinson’s disease presents one of the most complex and growing challenges for our health and care system. Supporting people with the condition requires not only specialist clinical expertise, but also co-ordinated social care, community support and innovative approaches to treatment.

That is why I welcome the upcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan, which will help ensure the NHS has the right people, with the right skills, in the right places to support those living with Parkinson’s. I am also pleased that we have established the United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, bringing together stakeholders across Government, the NHS and the devolved administrations to share learnings and explore ways to improve care for people with neurological conditions.

I recognise that receiving a timely diagnosis is crucial for people’s long-term outcomes. That is why our Government’s commitment for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029 is so important. I also support national programmes such as the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Neurology Programme, which aim to improve the quality and consistency of services across the NHS.

In addition, it is encouraging to see that we continue to work closely with Parkinson’s UK. In October 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care hosted a roundtable with the charity, alongside Cure Parkinson’s and members of the Movers & Shakers group, to discuss how care and support for people living with Parkinson’s can be improved. The Department has held subsequent meetings focused on ongoing collaboration.

I know that future progress depends on research, and I was so pleased that more than £1.6 billion is invested each year through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. In 2024/25, this included £6 million for projects focused on Parkinson’s disease.

Thank you once again to everyone who contacted me about this important issue. Please be assured that I will continue to support efforts to improve services and outcomes for people living with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.