Published23 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Nikki Fox/BBCBy Nikki FoxBBC East health correspondentTincy Jose is a junior sister working in urgent care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. When the 45-year-old reported symptoms to her GP, she said a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease completely overwhelmed her. But she has managed to turn her journey into “a calling” – to support and encourage others with the condition. This is her story.Something under my shoe?Image source, Kevin Saddington/BBC”It was a night shift and the corridors in the hospital were really quiet. I was walking along, and noticed that my right footstep noise was louder than my left. Initially I thought there was something stuck under my shoe, so I lifted it to check, but there wasn’t. I didn’t go to the doctor straight away as I didn’t want him to think I was silly. Being a nurse, working and taking care of the family, you don’t always consider your own health. After my colleagues noticed my symptoms, I went to my GP and he referred me to a neurologist.While waiting for a diagnosis, I noticed some stiffness in my shoulder, then I went to Mass and the prayer card I was holding in my right hand was shaking.I started to think something was really wrong, but I didn’t want to think too much about it. Image source, Tricia Yourkevich/BBCWhile reading the BBC website, I came across an article on Dr Paul Sinha, from the TV programme, The Chase. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. There was a link to his blog which explained his symptoms. He talked about stiffness in his shoulder and limping. I thought, am I going that way? I read it again and again.When you hear the words ‘Parkinson’s Disease’ you know it’s an incurable and progressive condition. It was overwhelming me.’My mind went blank’Image source, Nikki Fox/BBCI was at work when I received the diagnosis over the phone. The first thing that came into my mind was being a mum of young children. My mind and brain went blank. Even though I was expecting it, I felt like I was in a different world.The neurologist told me to take time to accept it and said he had prescribed me medication. He booked an appointment for six weeks’ time. I put the phone down, turned around and my colleague said: ‘Are you ok?’ – I couldn’t talk. Then, from nowhere my matron stood in front of me. I thought God had sent her. She took me into her office and gave me a chair. I just burst out in tears. She gave me time and space to calm down. She said: ‘Remember there is a treatment. You can still progress in your career, you can see your children growing up, you can spend time with them.’ She told me to prepare my mind and that nothing was going to stop me.’Out of hibernation’Image source, Queen Elizabeth HospitalIt took me nearly one and a half years to disclose the diagnosis to all of my colleagues. But I gradually realised there was a purpose to it. I believe it was ‘a calling’.Normally I’m calm and quiet, but I wanted to raise awareness and started to come out of my hibernation because of that.I’m a member of an informal group of NHS professionals diagnosed with the disease. There are 40 members across the UK, Ireland and Australia. We are trying to raise awareness about the importance of timely medication for those with Parkinson’s in hospital. The medications control the symptoms and if there is a delay in giving it, the symptoms will reappear. If this delay is more than 30 minutes, it can affect the patients’ ability to walk and talk – and a person’s discharge home. According to Parkinson’s UK, 58% of patients admitted to hospital, didn’t get their medication on time, every time.The charity also gave me the opportunity to meet the minister for disabled people, Tom Pursglove. I explained how I am living with Parkinson’s and the medication campaign. I also spoke to him about the importance of adding Parkinson’s to the prescription exemption list and how we feel more specialists need to be recruited.[A spokesperson for NHS England said: “While local NHS trusts are each responsible for their own medicines policy, NHS England has commissioned a range of support, information and resources for organisations on this issue, which have been used by hundreds of health professionals – we will continue to encourage their use so patients in hospital can get their medication in a timely way.”]’There is life after diagnosis’Image source, Queen Elizabeth HospitalParkinson’s has more than 40 symptoms. Not everyone feels the same, but it does affect movement. If you are getting towards the end of a busy day, you may feel incredibly tired. You get stressed easily and my writing has slowed down, but working with a supportive team helps.I want to show others that there is life after diagnosis. I have had the opportunity to develop my career, progressing from a band five nurse to a band six junior sister. You have to be active and confident you can continue your work.Recently I was awarded the ‘Best Nurse of the Year’ from MalayalamUK. Malayalam is a language spoken in Kerala in India, where I lived before relocating to the UK in 2008.Tincy’s mantraI believe to live well with Parkinson’s, you have to be a ‘PARKINSON’:Positivity helps you to go forwardActive nature improves your movementResilience helps to face your challengesKind to yourself Insightful thinking is power to be purposefulNurturing skills will help to support othersSelf confidence is mandatory Optimism will help you achieve dreamsNoble attitude leads you to positive outcome’Super mum’If you are struggling, you need to get support. Your mind is your weapon.The former president of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam said: ‘Life is very similar to a boxing ring. The defeat is not declared when you fall down, but it is declared when you fail to rise up.’ The same way that when you receive a long term diagnosis, it is not the end of your career or your life. It is not the end of your world. There will be more opportunities, but if you’re not looking for the door or knocking on it, you won’t find the opportunities.On the first Mother’s Day after my diagnosis, my son wrote ‘super mum’ on my card. I asked him: “Why did you write that?”. He said: “You are a super mum because you have Parkinson’s, you’re still working and looking after us.” That made me cry. I’m so grateful for them supporting and helping me.I will continue my work until I can.”Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.ukMore on this storyParkinson’s implant restores man’s walkPublished6 November’My NHS hell waiting for surgery and information’Published29 OctoberGut problems may be early warning of Parkinson’sPublished25 AugustParkinson’s disease device trialled at hospitalPublished11 AprilRelated Internet LinksThe Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s LynnParkinson’s disease – NHSThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published7 days agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy Nikki FoxBBC East health correspondentThe sister of a man who died waiting more than eight hours for an ambulance is calling on the government to “take note and take action”.Christopher Hart, 50, was found lifeless in his home in Woodbridge, Suffolk, by his mother, in October 2022.His emergency call, made at 01:00 BST, was graded Category 2, meaning an average wait time of 40 minutes.The Department of Health said ambulance response times had since improved.Mr Hart’s sister, Sheena Clements, told the BBC: “Losing a family member for anyone is hard, it’s emotional, especially if you know things could have been different. “The cardiologist said if he’d had the medical attention, he would have had a chance of surviving of between 93% and 97%. “He had a heart condition and needed a stent.”She added: “All we want is for the government to take notice and do something about it”.Image source, BBC A Prevention of Future Deaths report (PFDR), by the Suffolk coroner, Nigel Parsley, concluded that “due to high service demand, and ambulances waiting to off-load their patients at the local hospitals, no ambulance was immediately available.”It added: “The delay in an ambulance attending meant that potentially life saving treatment could not be given, so that delay directly contributed to Christopher’s death.”Mr Hart called an ambulance at 01:00 on 25 October 2022 after becoming unwell. It was graded as Category 2 and should have meant an average wait time of 40 minutes – and a target wait time of 18 minutes.The ambulance did not arrive until after Mr Hart’s mother discovered her son’s lifeless body at 09:25. He was pronounced dead at 09:35.The coroner added that “had an ambulance for Christopher arrived within the target time, the drugs he could have been given by ambulance personnel, and his early transport to hospital, would, on a balance of probabilities, have saved his life.”Image source, Sarah JonesMrs Clements described her brother as “a kind man, who was well-read and loved his movies and music.”She said their father had passed away 26 years earlier from a heart condition – but her brother’s condition was undiagnosed.The Department of Health (DHSC) said that “no one should have to wait longer than necessary for urgent and emergency care”, adding that responses to Category 2 incidents were almost 20 minutes faster compared to last year. According to NHS England statistics, ambulance response times in the East of England have improved by 30 minutes.However, on 9 November, coroner Mr Parsley said he heard evidence from a patient safety officer at the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) that “despite previous measures put in place, there are continuing and regular instances of non-availability of ambulances occurring in Suffolk and the wider East of England region”.A spokesperson for the EEAST said: “Our response times have improved due to work to increase the number of frontline staff and available ambulances, but we recognise there is a lot more work needed by us and our partners to improve our response to patients.”Coroners’ concernsAnalysis by the BBC has found coroners have raised concerns regarding delays to East of England ambulances – or patients dying after waiting in the back of ambulances outside hospitals – on seven separate occasions since January 2023.Anyone written to by a coroner is supposed to reply within 56 days to say what action they will take to prevent further deaths.It is part of the legal process and helps promote change – but that process isn’t always followed by the government.On four occasions where coroners in Norfolk wrote to the Secretary of State regarding ambulance delays, a reply was not received. In the worst breach, the Department of Health failed to meet the deadline by 269 days. The Norfolk coroner’s office confirmed an extension had not been applied for in any of the cases. The Department of Health did not comment on this point.”People die every day but if simple measures can save someone’s life then we should be doing that,” Mrs Clements said.”Bereavement’s hard, but if you know something simple could be done to save your loved one’s life then it makes that bereavement process so much worse.”She said she did not blame the ambulance service for her brother’s death.Unison branch chairman for the EEAST, Glenn Carrington, said the solution was about making sure people could be cared for in the community so that hospitals could free up beds and ambulances would not be left waiting to offload patients.”Winter pressures are kicking in and we need to make sure response times don’t deteriorate,” he said.”When the time starts elapsing because you can’t get to someone, we know their outcomes will be worse – and that really gets to us.”The DHSC added: “We are providing an additional £800m for this winter to support the NHS. “We are also working to get 800 new ambulances on the road and create 5,000 permanent staffed hospital beds to further reduce waiting times.”Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830More on this storyMan found dead eight hours after ambulance callPublished24 NovemberMan, 82, faces 16-hour ambulance wait after fallPublished23 AugustWarning ambulance transfer delays risk future deathsPublished30 JanuaryPatient forced to wait in ambulance for 12 hoursPublished4 January’If we are queuing, we can’t get to patients’Published21 November 2022Related Internet LinksNHS ambulance performance dataCoroners prevention of future death reportsThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.