Dear Dr. Fenwick CEO,
We, the undersigned, are patients, families, local residents and members of the Parkinson's community are deeply concerned about the decision deeply concerned about the decision to not continue funding the Parkinson’s Rapid Response speech and language therapist who left her post in November 2025.
In 2023, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust made a commitment to people with Parkinson’s in Gateshead that when the Parkinson’s UK funding for this post expired, they would continue to fund it. Instead of this happening, an unfathomable decision has been made to recruit a non-specialist role and we haven't heard anything about how people with Parkinson's will continue to be supported.
This decision, apparently made just on cost, will jeopardise patient care particularly for people with Parkinson’s and put a strain on services in your Trust while waiting times and readmissions increase.
Over 80% of Parkinson’s patients develop dysphagia, which can lead to reduced quality of life, malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia, which is a leading cause of fatality in our community. If the Trust does not commit to a dedicated Parkinson’s speech and language therapist based in the hospital, there is a serious risk of people with Parkinson's dying while they wait for an assessment.
We urge you to fulfil the commitment made to people with Parkinson’s in Gateshead. We need our Parkinson’s specific speech and language therapist.
