Parkinson’s Disease affects more Australians than breast cancer, and local sufferers are calling for more assistance in the form of a neurological nurse specialist (NNS).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Last week, long-standing Inverell based senator John Williams publicly admitted that he had been diagnosed with the neurological disease that affects 300 in every 100,000 citizens.
Tamworth Parkinson’s Support Group publicity officer John Crosby said that while it was tragic for anyone to be diagnosed with any illness, he hopes that the extra publicity generated by the senator’s diagnosis can drive the issue for more support in regional areas.
“I have been talking about ways and means to get an NNS position in Tamworth for five years now and hopefully we can get some momentum now and get a foot in the door,” Mr Crosby said.
“Our president, Trish Betts, got a call from Senator Williams last week and he gave her his full support.”
Things got even worse for local sufferers in need of guidance, information and assistance when it was revealed this week the Newcastle-based Parkinson’s nurse would no longer be able to make her regular two-day quarterly trips to Tamworth because of an already overstretched workload.
While the NNS position would ultimately come out of the taxpayer pocket, Mr Crosby believes in the end a full-time role would save taxpayers’ money.
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has so many different presentations that it requires a range of different medications and treatments for each individual patient.
“The need for expert knowledge is frequently required with PD and often it is urgent,” Mr Crosby said.
“Tamworth only has two neurologists and appointments with them and GPs are often slow.”
The appointment of a nurse would reduce the workload of specialists and GPs and can also provide post-diagnosis support for both the patient and their carers.”
An NNS would also cover other neurological diseases, such as Motor Neuron Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and others, all of which are prevalent in the Tamworth region.
