Warwickshire Members of Parliament confirm funding to continue
The Members of Parliament for North Warwickshire & Bedworth (Dan Byles), Nuneaton (Marcus Jones) and Rugby (Mark Pawsey) recently met with Parkinson's UK to discuss the funding of Parkinson's nurses across the county of Warwickshire.
Until now, two full time nurses have been funded by the charity Parkinson's UK while working for the local NHS. That funding was always temporary and due to expire this year. All three MPs say they were impressed by the work of these nurses, and all knew of constituents who had benefited from them.
The three MPs, whose constituencies cover the north half of the county of Warwickshire, each worked behind the scenes to seek a way forward for funding. And at a meeting last week with the national charity the MPs were delighted to be able to inform Parkinson's UK that the funding issue had been resolved, and that as part of an arrangement with South Warwickshire Foundation Trust the NHS would now be picking up the bill to keep the two nurses on for the benefit of all Parkinson's patients across the county.
Mark Pawsey, the MP for Rugby, said:
"Having attended meetings of the Rugby Branch of Parkinsons UK, I have been very impressed with the excellent work that they do to provide support to those with the condition and to their carers. Parkinsons UK’s partnership with the local NHS to fund two Parkinson's nurses has been an excellent example of the NHS working together with the Third Sector for the benefit of patients.”
"My fellow Warwickshire MPs and I have all spoken to constituents who have benefited from these nurses, and we were all glad to do our best to try to ensure the service remained. That's why we're all delighted that the local NHS has picked up the cost of continuing this vital service."