We spoke to the Scottish health secretary about the challenges people with Parkinson’s face

We talked about the importance of people with Parkinson’s getting their time critical medication on time in hospital, and suggested some potential solutions. 

At the end of November, we will host a summit on time critical medication. This will bring senior leaders and the Parkinson’s community together to agree actions that can make hospital stays much safer for people with Parkinson’s in Scotland. It was very timely for us to be able to brief the cabinet secretary about the meeting, and secure his support.

We also highlighted the positive impact that physical activity has for people with Parkinson's.

What we raised with the Cabinet Secretary

Tanith Muller, Parliamentary and Campaigns Manager, said:

"There is a lot that needs to change, and we wanted to make the most of the time we had with the cabinet secretary. So we focused on 3 main things.

"Firstly, and most importantly, we wanted the cabinet secretary to hear about what life with Parkinson’s is like. Parkinson’s is complex and everyone is different, but the best way to understand the condition is to talk to someone who lives with it. Brian’s willingness to talk about the impact of Parkinson’s gave the minister and his officials an insight into some of the common challenges for our community.

"Secondly, we wanted to secure the Scottish government’s support for our Get it on Time campaign. We know that fewer than half of all Parkinson’s medicines are given on time when someone is in hospital in Scotland. We need leadership from the cabinet secretary and senior NHS and Scottish government officials to make sure that people with Parkinson’s get time critical medicines on time, every time.

"Thirdly, we wanted to talk about why access to local physical activity for people with Parkinson’s is so vital. We could not have asked for a more positive advocate than Brian, who says that physical activity is as important to him as his medication. It was great to be able to share the growth of our Parkinson’s Active work across Scotland."

Looking forward to the outcomes of the meeting

Brian Carson, Scotland Trustee for Parkinson’s UK, said:

"It was very positive. We discussed a number of issues, but our main focus was time critical medication, which is very important for people with Parkinson’s.

"He was very knowledgeable about the subject and took on board everything we had to say. I look forward to the outcomes of this meeting."