Parkinson's Disease

While the Department does not hold data specifically on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England, we do hold data on the number of doctors working in the wider specialty of neurology. As of August 2025, there were 2,010 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology. This includes 1,025 FTE consultant neurologists.

These figures are based on NHS Digital’s workforce data and reflect staff employed by National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. They do not include doctors working in private practice or outside NHS organisations.

NHS England has published a service specification for specialised adult neurology services, which includes Parkinson’s disease as part of its scope. This specification sets out requirements for multidisciplinary care, including access to Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists, consultant neurologists, and allied health professionals.

NHS England is also implementing initiatives such as the Neurology Transformation Programme and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aim to improve access to specialist care, reduce variation, and develop integrated models of service delivery for conditions including Parkinson’s disease. These programmes align with the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on Parkinson’s disease, reference code NG71, which recommends that people with Parkinson’s have regular access to specialist staff with expertise in the condition.