Rebecca Manners is the new Parkinson’s Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).
Rebecca moved from New Zealand for the new role, where she previously worked at Auckland City Hospital as the Movement Disorder Nurse Specialist.
Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurological condition in Australia. The number of Australians affected is expected to increase as the population ages. People living with Parkinson’s have more frequent hospital admissions, with limited care and support in the community being a key factor.
The Parkinson’s Specialist Nursing Service will support people with Parkinson’s, their families and carers who reside in the Tweed, Byron and Ballina clinical networks. It is co-funded by Parkinson’s NSW and the NNSWLHD.
“I am looking forward to getting to know people who are living locally with Parkinson’s and being an advocate for them,” Rebecca said.
“Having a nurse in their community will ensure better access to care and services for both patients and their families. I also feel very fortunate to have moved to such a beautiful part of Australia!”
The position is based at Ballina District Hospital, working across a variety of settings in the Tweed/Byron/Ballina region, including outpatient clinics, home visits and hospitals.
December will see the first referrals to the service.
Please contact the service on (02) 6620 6361 for more information or to refer a patient.