Parkinson's Postcode Lottery

There is a postcode lottery for an essential surgical treatment for Parkinson’s depending on which side of Scotland you live.

16:34 26 August 2015

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is often the last option for people who are suffering from serious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, can be taken advantage of those people who live in the east of Scotland in England while those in the west can get it in Scotland.

 

Meanwhile, NHS Scotland will consider the proposal to create Scotland-wide service at the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow next month.

 

DBS is offered to people with Parkinson’s, essential tremor, and dystonia. While it is available in Glasgow, only patients who live in the west of Scotland are offered it. 

 

Katherine Crawford, the charity's director in Scotland, said: "Around 30 people with Parkinson's in Scotland would be likely to benefit from DBS surgery each year.

 

"The creation of a sustainable National Service in Glasgow would significantly improve access to the treatment for every suitable candidate in Scotland and provide a specialist centre that delivers improved outcomes for people with Parkinson's."

 

Consultant neurologist Dr Ed Newman, who is a specialist in Parkinson's at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: "Deep Brain Stimulation can be a life changing procedure. Over the last 25 years, many thousands of people worldwide have had this surgery, and it is now established as an essential treatment option for selected patients with advanced Parkinson's disease or dystonia.

 

"The establishment of a single National Service in Scotland, run on similar lines to the 13 NHS DBS centres in England, would be a huge step forward in the care of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease and dystonia across Scotland."