A group of staff at NHSGGC’s Institute for Neurological Sciences (INS) has played a starring role in a video highlighting the national campaign to help people living with Parkinson’s.
The video, a musical parody of the disco classic ‘I Will Survive’, was the brainchild of the Movers and Shakers – a podcast fronted by six high-profile people who discuss the realities of life with Parkinson’s.
The group – business woman Gillian Lacey-Solymar, retired High Court judge Sir Nicholas Mostyn and journalists Jeremy Paxman, Rory Cellan-Jones and Mark Mardell, and Paul Mayhew-Archer, co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley – have been recording Movers and Shakers for around 18 months, and as well as providing regular entertainment and information, they have recently launched the Parky Charter – a set of five aims to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s.
To help publicise the charter, they decided to record their video, called We Will Survive – and following a brief encounter on the podcast, the NHSGGC group were called to provide the soundtrack.
Dr Ed Newman, Consultant Neurologist, explained:
“Last year I was invited to speak on the podcast about how we teach medical students at Glasgow University about Parkinson’s.
“We’re all in a band called The Nutcrackers, made of up six INS staff and one solicitor from outwith, and I must have mentioned that.
“So when the idea for the video was formed, they called us and asked if we’d be up for helping to record the track. How could we say no?”
As a result, in June, The Nutcrackers – made up of Ed, Consultant Neurosurgeons Calan Mathieson, Likhith Alakandy and Jerome St George, Consultant Neurologist Alok Tyagi, Neurorehabilitation Trainee Paul Fivey, and solicitor Suzie Falconer – found themselves at Starla Recordings, Lochwinnoch, recording We Will Survive.
And a short time later, in true pop star style, a video crew rocked up to the INS and filmed the band performing the song.
The finished video was launched by Movers and Shakers earlier this month – and Ed and the rest of the Nutcrackers are delighted with the results.
Ed said: “We all feel very proud to be part of such a positive project. As well as being great fun, I feel it was recognition for all the hard work being done here to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s and their families.
“While not all of the band are directly involved in Parkinson’s care, we all know the huge impact the condition can have on the lives of patients and their loved ones, and we wish the Movers and Shakers well with their Parky Charter.”
To watch the video, click here.
TO find out more about the INS and the work it does, go to the NHSGGC website.
To find out more about the Movers and Shakers, go to moversandshakerspodcast.com.
Background note
The Parky Charter:
1 Access to Neurologists: Every person referred by their GP for possible Parkinson’s diagnosis should see a neurologist or geriatrician within 18 weeks. After diagnosis there should be a maximum of a year between neurological appointments.
2 Information: At diagnosis, every patient should be given a leaflet containing essential information about Parkinson’s, as well as information on local groups, Parkinson’s nurses and details of upcoming appointments.
3 Race to a cure: Parkinson’s is incurable – but it doesn’t have to stay that way. The Government should commit to a major increase in funding for research into Parkinson’s.
4 Multidisciplinary approach: Every patient should have access to, advice from, and treatment by, a multidisciplinary team including Parkinson’s nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists and speech therapists.
5 The Parky Passport: After diagnosis and assessment, patients should be given access to a passport that entitles them to certain benefits – free prescriptions, a ‘blue badge’, streamlined benefits applications and other clearly defined services.
