NHS in Parkinson’s ‘crisis’ as 21,000 could be living with disease undiagnosed

More than 20,000 people across the UK could be living with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease, a new study has revealed.

The charity Parkinson’s UK warns that a "painfully slow" NHS backlog, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has left thousands in a state of uncertainty, with some individuals are waiting up to five years to see a neurologist.

The organisation is now urging the NHS to address what it describes as a "diagnosis crisis".

Research by Parkinson's UK, published in the journal Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, used data from more than 18 million primary care records.

It found diagnosis rates dropped by 26% – from 26,000 to 19,300 – between 2019 and 2021 and still have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

The study suggests that while excess deaths had a small impact on the prevalence of Parkinson’s, the biggest factors affecting diagnosis have been long NHS waiting lists, and access to neurology services.

Caroline Rassell, chief executive of Parkinson’s UK, said: “The painfully long Covid backlog, and slow recovery of neurology services, has left thousands of people with Parkinson’s struggling to be seen.

“Some people are waiting five years to see a neurologist.

“All too often we hear they are bounced between services, in a state of uncertainty, fearing the worst whilst they wait for a diagnosis.

“It’s simply unacceptable and forces those who can afford it, to turn to private healthcare for answers.”

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Source: The Independent, 23 October 2025