Today is World Parkinson’s Day and I am very happy to help raise awareness of this difficult disease. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the challenges people with Parkinson’s face. Shockingly, a recent survey found that 32 per cent of people with Parkinson’s have been stared at in public and 11 per cent have been laughed at. What’s worse is that 32 per cent of people do not feel that their symptoms are considered socially acceptable.
Parkinson’s affects 145,000 people in the UK, which is approximately one in 350 people in Thirsk and Malton. The number of people affected are expected to increase by a fifth by 2025. Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological condition, for which there currently is no cure. The main symptoms of the condition are tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity. The charity, Parkinson’s UK, is aiming to change attitudes about the disease to make life better for everyone living with the condition.
It is shocking that people with Parkinson’s face so many barriers, including being mistaken for being drunk, when out in public. I certainly want to understand more about how it affects people and I am encouraging my staff to do so too. This means we will all be better equipped to improve the lives of everyone affected by the condition and to better understand the issues faced by those who come to my advice surgery.