20,000 people could have undiagnosed Parkinson's

NHS backlog 'crisis' means up to five-year wait for help

- By Storm Newton

MORE than 20,000 people may be unaware they are living with Parkinson's disease in what a charity has called a "diagnosis crisis".

A “painfully slow” NHS backlog caused by the pandemic has left some waiting up to five years to see a neurologist, Parkinson's UK warned.

Research by the charity, 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. They have still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

The study suggests the major factors for diagnosis have been long NHS waiting lists and access to neurology services.