From diagnosis to ongoing care, many people with Parkinson’s in the NHS Highland area and across Scotland are facing major issues in accessing the care they need from overstretched local NHS and social care services.
That’s the conclusion drawn by Parkinson’s UK in Scotland in a major report on Parkinson’s services published last week.
The charity’s report, backed by leading clinicians, makes 13 recommendations that need urgent action if Scotland is to meet the health and social care needs of the growing Parkinson’s population. About 12,400 people in Scotland currently have a Parkinson’s diagnosis – nearly 900 in Highland alone - and that number is predicted to increase by 40 per cent within the next 20 years.