ADVANCED PARKINSON'S DISEASE

That this House notes with concern that an estimated 127,000 people in the UK have Parkinson's disease, that a further 10,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and that one in 20 will be under the age of 40; recognises that Parkinson's is a complex progressive disease that impacts on every aspect of daily living, which is especially true as the disease progresses into the advanced stage; is concerned by the findings of the Public Accounts Committee's recent report on services for people with neurological conditions which demonstrates that there are considerable geographical variations in service provision for people with Parkinson's disease and no system for holding commissioners to account for quality of care at all stages of the disease; further notes that early identification of problems and access to an expert who specialises in movement disorders gives patients greater flexibility of treatment and management options, particularly in the later stages of the disease when conventional therapies can no longer control symptoms adequately; welcomes the launch of the Advanced Parkinson's Pathfinders Handbook, which was developed in collaboration between the European Parkinson's Disease Association and Abbott to help people know what they should expect as their disease progresses and to provide information and support on how to get the most out of life with Parkinson's disease; and urges the Government to ensure the proposed NICE quality standard for Parkinson's disease is prioritised for development and reflects the progressive nature of the disease to ensure that the changing needs of people with Parkinson's disease are met at every stage of their patient journey.