The funding for the neurological nurse educator with Parkinson’s NSW, Nina Cheyne, has been secured until June 30, 2018, with funding of $90,000. 

South Eastern NSW PHN (Coordinaire) and Parkinson’s NSW met on Friday, April 28 to confirm the arrangement. 

While she’s relieved to have the funding secured another 12 months, Ms Cheyne is concerned about the long-term future of her position. 

“I’m happy to be reinstated for another year but I’m concerned about what will happen after that,” she said. 

“I’m not just concerned for my position; I want a contingency plan for another nurse to be put into place.

“I so suffer professional isolation and there’s times when I get sick and I don’t have anyone to fall on to continue my work.”

Ms Cheyne was told in mid-April that the Coordinaire was withdrawings funds for the position.

She credited the strong community support for the return of the funding. 

“It was a shock but I think it was the media attention and the strong support and outcry from the community that helped in having the decision reversed,” she said. 

Ms Cheyne cares for 450 patients from Kiama to North Durras. 

She’s a specialist in the neurodegenerative and Parkinson’s fields and runs three support groups in Nowra, Bomaderry, St Georges Basin and Ulladulla.

Dianne Kitcher, CEO of Coordinaire South Eastern NSW said while there is no funds for another specialist Parkinson’s nurse in the region, Parkinsons’s NSW and the Coodinaire will work together to build more support systems with local health professionals over the next 12 months. 

“Over the next 12 months we’ll be having the conversation with Parkinson’s NSW about how we can make a sustainable solution to this issue,” she said. 

“The nursing staff are valuable and critical and we need to think about how we leverage their expertise to help support the existing community.

“We need to build a model where we have an expert supporting a range of providers across the region.”