Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) detection and (b) treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2006 sets out best practice for clinicians on the diagnosis treatment care and support of people with Parkinson’s disease.

The guideline highlights key symptoms of the disease including tremor, stiffness and slowness and states that patients in whom the disease is suspected should be promptly referred to a specialist with expertise is the condition. Treatments for Parkinson’s disease are largely drug based. The NICE guidance states that patient preference should be taken into account, once they have been informed of the short- and long-term benefits and drawbacks of the different types of drugs available. The guidance makes it clear that other supportive treatments, such as physiotherapy and speech and language therapy, may also be appropriate.

Whilst most patients with Parkinson’s disease can be successfully managed through routine access to primary and secondary care, NHS England commissions certain elements of specialised care, as well as specific drugs and interventions that may be needed. Specialised care providers offer multidisciplinary team support and involve a range of clinical specialities.

Regarding recent representation concerning Parkinson’s disease, in October last year, Parkinson’s Disease UK met with the then Minister of State (Norman Lamb) to discuss the arrangements for NHS Continuing Healthcare payments. Since then, our records indicate that Ministers of the Department have received less than 10 letters from charities specifically about the care and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. No letters from patient groups or medical professionals were identified.