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Parkinson's Disease: Nurses

Asked by Alex BrewerLiberal DemocratDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 9 July 2026UIN 14675

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department have made of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses currently in post.

Answered by Karin Smyth

The Department does not hold a central estimate of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses employed in the National Health Service in England. Specialist Parkinson’s nurse posts are not recorded as a separate workforce category within national NHS workforce datasets, and decisions about the number and deployment of specialist nurses are made locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards to meet the needs of their populations. National workforce datasets therefore do not allow the Department to identify the number of nurses specialising in Parkinson’s disease.

The Government recognises the important role that specialist Parkinson’s nurses play in supporting people with Parkinson’s disease through personalised care, medicines management, and self-management support. NHS England's service specification for specialised adult neurology services and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance support access to healthcare professionals with expertise in Parkinson’s disease.

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