Overview

Our Parkinson's disease service supports people who have or are suspected of having:

• Parkinson's disease
• Parkinson's plus syndromes
• tremor
• dystonic syndromes (muscle problems)
• Huntington's disease 
• other movement disorders

Parkinson's disease is a condition that damages the brain over many years. It’s caused by a reduction in the amount of dopamine, which is a chemical in the brain. Symptoms can include:

• Involuntary shaking (tremor)
• slow movement
• stiff or rigid muscles

These symptoms can be caused by other conditions so it is important to get a diagnosis.

Parkinson's disease is a long-term condition.

Parkinson's advice line

The Parkinson's nurses can provide advice and support for patients coming to our clinics, and their relatives.

You can call the advice line on 020 7188 5832 if you:

• have questions about your diagnosis
• have questions about your medicine
• are getting side effects that you think might be caused by your Parkinson’s medicine
• have concerns that need to be addressed before your next appointment

You'll need to leave a message that includes:

• your full name and date of birth
• your hospital number (if you know it) or address
• the reason for your call
• a phone number we can contact you on, and times we can call you back

Messages are collected twice a day and calls will be prioritised by the nurses. Any urgent calls will be returned the same day (or the next working day if it's a weekend or bank holiday). Other calls will be returned in 3 working days.

If you miss a call, a message will be left where possible and 1 further attempt will be made to contact you.

Health information

• NHS website information about Parkinson's disease
• Parkinson's UK provides support for people with Parkinson's disease

Our consultants

Thomasin Andrews, consultant neurologist

Research and clinical trials

Research is vital to improving the care that you receive when you're unwell. You can help improve healthcare by taking part in research studies at our Trust. During your appointment, ask your healthcare professional about research. They'll be happy to tell you about research studies you could be eligible to join.