Parkinson's Disease Specialist Unit

What we do

We have in excess of 850 patients who attend the weekly clinic on a regular basis and, due to the progressive nature of Parkinson's Disease (PD), these patients remain under our care for all their lives. We take great pride in the multi-disciplinary approach adopted in our clinic, and have a highly skilled group of professionals who contribute actively to the management of these patients. The clinic provides specialist opinion into diagnosis (particularly where diagnosis is not immediately clear) and ongoing management of the condition.

We provide both formal and informal support for patients and carers in both clinic and community settings, including the provision of a telephone hotline manned by the Parkinson's Disease Specialist Nurse.
As clinical experts we create care pathways, develop standards and aim to create a responsive service.
As educators we provide training for all levels of multi-disciplinary team members, social services staff and pre and post graduate training to medical staff.
As researchers we undertake regular audits to continually appraise, improve and refine our service.
As a team we actively participate in nursing and medical research including clinical trials to help develop knowledge and treatments of this complex disease and related conditions.
As consultants we liaise with other Government Agencies including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Welsh Assembly Government and Health Commission Wales.
As Health Care Professionals, we bridge the gap between primary and secondary care, including collaborative working with General Practitioners and forging closer links with Nursing and Residential Homes.
But more importantly, as Health Care Professionals we are specialists in recognising, diagnosing and managing the symptoms of this condition and making the most effective use of medicines and treatment options available to us with the aim of providing holistic patient centred care.

In addition, we have developed close links with the John Pathy Day Hospital, Llandough Day Hospital and Barry Day Hospital with access to specialised services including:-

Medical and Nursing Staff
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Dietitian
Speech and Language Therapy
Clinical Psychology
Continence Team

Specialist PD days and carer information and support days are also held in the above setting with large numbers of patients attending. This provides an excellent environment to meet specialist Health Care Professionals and other patients with PD to share information about their condition.

Clinic Staff include:

2 Medical Consultants who specialise in Movement Disorders
2 Parkinson's Disease (PD) Specialist Nurses
Nursing Staff
Pharmacist with a special interest in PD
Memory Service

Useful Websites

Future aims of service

Improve service provision to all PD patients across Cardiff and Vale UHB.
Ensure equitable access to treatment.
Work in partnership with PD Society.
Increase opportunities for Research and Development.
Develop strategies to enable patients and carers to cope with the psychological consequences of PD, and develop closer working relationship with Mental Health Teams.