Parkinson’s disease service

About the service

The Parkinson’s nurse service provides care to patients, carers and families in Barnsley, enabling those patients who are newly diagnosed and throughout their illness to benefit from being managed in an environment suited to their individual needs.

The service provides individualised care, empowering people to manage their condition with the purpose of improving quality of life, improved access to services closer to home and greater choice of service provision.

The Parkinson’s nurse works closely with the consultant neurologists and elderly physician at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. They also work alongside general practitioners and other health and social care professionals to promote effective management of the condition.

Why would someone choose the service?

• Responsive service – advice can be given over the telephone and appointments can be offered within one to two days of contact
• Patient satisfaction surveys show 95% satisfaction across all areas of the service
• The services employ a  highly specialised nurse who has experience in supporting people with Parkinson’s
• The Parkinson’s nurse has excellent links with consultant neurologists, general practitioners and other healthcare professionals to enable a high standard of care

Staff you may meet

Doctor

There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.

Nurse

Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.

Occupational therapist

Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.

Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists help people to improve their range of movement in order to promote health and well being. This can help people to live more independently.

Social worker

Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.