For more than eight years a local group of Parkinson’s Disease survivors have been campaigning to win the services of a Specialised Neurological Nurse, or specialist PD nurse for the Tamworth region.
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While they have had more setbacks than victories, on Friday the group are hoping to have their voices heard by those at the top when Nationals Deputy Leader and Minister for Rural Health Bridget McKenzie is in town.
Ms McKenzie is the guest of honour at the Tamworth Branch of The Nationals Casual Country Evening at Wests Leagues Club on Friday night.
Before that however she will be sitting down with local PD campaigner John Crosby and his committee at Barnaby Joyce’s office at 2pm.
“We got wind that she (McKenzie) was coming to town and just thought it was the perfect opportunity to reinforce what we have been doing,” Mr Crosby said.
“We are really looking forward to some positive outcomes from this meeting, and hoping for some action in the near future.”
A Specialised Neurological Nurse (SNN) don’t only service people living with PD, but also sufferers of Motor Neuron Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis and several other neurological conditions.
Last year at the NSW Nationals Convention, and following the announcement that fellow Nationals senator John Williams had been diagnosed with PD an urgent motion was unanimously upheld to fund PD specialist nurses to service regional NSW.
As far as The Leader understands since then only half a nurse has been funded at Port Macquarie, despite several groups and committees such as the one in Tamworth campaigning hard ever since.
While PD nurses and SNN’s cost approximately $150,000 a year annually, studies conducted in the UK have found that the nurses actually save the health system thousands of dollars annually in reducing overnight hospital stays, while also generate better outcomes for patients who no longer have to travel long distances for specialist care.
In Tamworth there is also a 12 month waiting list at the only two neurologists in the region, with a trip to Newcastle the only other option for PD and neurological patients.
Recently one of two specialist PD nurse positions in Newcastle left and were not replaced by Hunter New England Health, just months after the services of a visiting PD nurse to the region were also cut.
