New NHS workforce plan is a welcome step but more work is needed to reassure people with Parkinson’s

The new NHS long-term workforce plan for England plan proposes more doctors, nurses and healthcare staff to meet patient needs. It was put together using independent forecasts of the staff needed to meet the needs of the population over the next 15 years.  

We've been campaigning for better access to healthcare services for the Parkinson's community through our Can't Wait campaign. You can read more about our Can’t Wait campaign here.

And although the long-term workforce plan is a step in the right direction, we're calling on the Government to clarify how it will:

• address regional variations in access to healthcare across the country now, not in the future
• incentivise and support nurses to train as Parkinson’s specialists, which Parkinson's UK will continue to support through funding 
• give healthcare professionals protected time and space to learn more about Parkinson’s so they can deliver the best possible care
• improve data on how many Parkinson’s health professionals there are and where in the country, so gaps can be identified and filled.

There are currently around 145,000 people in the UK who have Parkinson’s, and with population growth and ageing, we estimate this will increase by a fifth, to around 172,000 people in the UK, by 2030. So it is crucial that the NHS factors in the needs of the community.

Write to the health secretary to ask him to provide more details on how the plan will benefit people with Parkinson's. 

Boosting NHS staff numbers

Grace Ogden, Campaigns Engagement Lead at Parkinson’s UK, said:

“It’s reassuring to see career pathways for nurses and allied health professionals who are so crucial to Parkinson’s care in the plan. We hope this will help staff to work as part of multidisciplinary teams.

“The reaffirmed commitment to cut waiting times will be a relief to our community, who are facing long waits to see their consultant or nurse.

“The long-term vision of the plan is admirable, but we want to see some detail on the short-term steps the NHS will take to address gaps and waiting times that exist now.” 

More information needed on specialist training

"The focus on encouraging doctors to see patients as a whole person and acknowledging we have an increasingly ageing population who live with multiple conditions is positive. We would still like to see more information on how speciality training in neurology and care of older people will happen in areas that lack specialists. 

“The NHS must use the promised investment in technology to improve its data on the prevalence of long-term conditions, and the location and need for more specialist healthcare professionals. 

Local action required 

“We want to see clear plans from Integrated Care Boards on how they'll deliver the workforce that this ambitious plan promises when they're currently being asked to make cuts to local budgets.

“People with Parkinson’s need support across hospitals, community and social care. We’d like to see more from the plan on how true integration of services will be achieved. Social care can no longer be left behind.

“We'll be monitoring the implementation of this plan to make sure it actually makes a difference to people with Parkinson’s. Our community is struggling with access to care now and we want them to get the support they need today, not in 15 years time."