A POOLE woman will be speaking in parliament to raise awareness for Functional Neurological Disorder.

Alison Newland, who has Functional Neurological Disorder, is preparing to speak at the first ever Parliamentary FND Awareness Day in February next year.

FND is a problem with the functioning of the nervous system, with sufferers often experiencing life changing symptoms, similar to Parkinson’s Disease and long-term disability comparable to that of MS.

Many sufferers, like Alison, feel as if there should be more awareness around the issue.

With the help of charity FND Hope UK, their patron Lorraine Kelly, and leading FND Specialist Neurologist Professor Mark Edwards, Alison hopes this can be achieved at the Parliamentary event.

She said: “Professor Mark Edwards has worked in partnership with FND Hope UK, The Neurological Alliance, other FND Specialists and FND patients to create an FND care pathway. These already exist for other conditions so that clinicians know what protocols and systems are in place for the diagnosis, treatment and aftercare for patients.

"Nothing of this sort exists for FND patients and they are often left in limbo as clinicians are often poorly educated about the condition or have never heard of it, fail to diagnose the condition correctly, or are unsure what to do or how to treat the patient.

"Professor Edwards will be explaining the idea of his FND Care Pathway and I will be speaking as a representative of the entire UK FND community about the way in which FND has changed my life and how it affects me on a daily basis."

It is not the first time Alison has worked to raise awareness around the disorder; For FND Awareness Month in April, she organised for three local landmarks to be lit in orange and blue back.

She has also remained a volunteer peer support worker for FND Hope UK, the patient-led charity for people with Functional Neurological Disorder.

Speaking to the Daily Echo earlier this year, she said: “I have become aware of more and more people in the BCP area that have FND. Our local FND community is growing and are determined to raise awareness of the condition.”

The parliamentary event is due to take place on February 8, 2023. It had been scheduled for September 22 of this year, but was postponed due to the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.