Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Chris Kane Excerpts

Thursday 1st May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Kane (Stirling and Strathallan) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for securing this important debate. Parkinson’s UK tells me that there are about 230 people living with the condition in my constituency of Stirling and Strathallan. Across Scotland, almost one in six people with Parkinson’s are under 65 and one in three are over 80, which is a reminder that this condition affects people of all ages.

One of those people is my constituent John Lange, who was diagnosed in 2006 at the age of just 43. In 2012, John co-founded the Forth Valley Young Parkinson’s group as a space for people of working age to share experiences and support one another. In 2014, John and his wife, Anne, opened a small fundraising shop in St Ninians. Over the last decade, that shop has grown into a well-known charity business in Stirling city centre, raising thousands for Parkinson’s UK and Parkinson’s research. It’s called Something Old Something New, and I would encourage anyone visiting Stirling to drop by Murray Place and see the brilliant work John and Anne are doing.

Parkinson’s is a condition that affects not just the body, but a person’s independence, confidence and ability to stay connected, so while treatment is crucial, having the right support networks in place matters just as much. Parkinson’s UK supports over 45 local groups across Scotland and works with more than 300 volunteers. These groups provide everything from exercise and dance classes to singing and art sessions, helping people to stay active and feel part of a community that understands what they are going through.

In Stirling and Strathallan, we have seen that community spirit in action. MXP Fitness, a local gym, runs boxing sessions designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s, with support from Parkinson’s UK’s physical activity grant programme. These sessions, led by former Stirling Albion player Craig Comrie, are all about building strength and mobility in a safe and supported way. As Craig put it to the Stirling Observer recently:

“No-one is getting knocked out…no one is Tyson Fury!”

However, the benefits are real, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

For those who prefer football to boxing, the Stirling Albion Foundation has just launched a new walking football session for people living with Parkinson’s. Held on Tuesday mornings, the sessions promote movement, co-ordination and connection. From what I hear, there is a lot of laughter, too. I want to thank the team at Stirling Albion not just for this new initiative, but for their wider work across the community. I also wish them a very happy 80th birthday in 2025.

These activities—the boxing, the football, the local fundraising—are all examples of how communities are stepping up to support those living with Parkinson’s. It is uplifting to see such creativity and compassion at a local level, and I know that is replicated in communities right across the United Kingdom.

I want to mention a remarkable local figure, my constituent Kay Mair. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Parkinson’s nurses, whose specialist knowledge and experience make a huge difference to patients and families. Kay is one of the longest-serving Parkinson’s nurse specialists in Scotland, having worked in the field since 1996. She is NHS Forth Valley’s lead nurse for Parkinson’s and a founding member of the Alliance of Scottish Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists. Last month, she was invited to St James’s Palace for tea with the Duchess of Gloucester in recognition of the incredible work she has done for nearly three decades.

Kay is exactly the kind of specialist nurse we need more of, which is why investment matters for the treatment of Parkinson’s and for the NHS in general. In England, the Labour Government committed almost £26 billion to the NHS in the recent Budget, and that is already starting to make a difference. Since the election, there have been an additional 3 million appointments, with waiting lists falling by nearly 50,000 in deprived areas, which is helping people get back to work, back to their lives and back to health.

In contrast, in Scotland, despite a record Budget settlement, one in six Scots is waiting for care and over 100,000 have waited for more than a year. These are not just numbers; they are our neighbours, friends and constituents who are left in limbo by a system that needs urgent attention. NHS staff across Scotland are doing their best, but they are being let down by a lack of strategic leadership and long-term planning by a poorly performing SNP Scottish Government.

While the challenges are real, so too is the determination of communities across the country to meet them. I pay tribute to Parkinson’s UK for the incredible work it does, not just in supporting people and raising awareness, but in campaigning for better services and leading research into a cure. I also thank all those working behind the scenes, such as the researchers striving for breakthroughs, the nurses delivering expert care and the many volunteers bringing energy, kindness and hope to their communities every day. I also want to recognise the thousands of individuals who raise money by undertaking personal challenges all around the country and internationally. My constituency Kim Somerville from Auchterarder has recently returned from an eight-day trek across Costa Rica, which has raised more than £3,000 for Parkinson’s UK.

Parkinson’s may be a tough diagnosis, but thanks to people like John, Anne, Kay, Craig and Kim, and the team at Parkinson’s UK and all the staff in our NHS, no one has to face it alone. Together, we can build a future in which everyone affected by Parkinson’s feels supported, empowered and heard.