Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to develop a formal care pathway for Parkinson's disease.

NHS England’s updated adult specialised neurology service specification sets clear, standardised expectations for integrated neurology pathways, helping integrated care boards (ICBs) design services that provide timely, comprehensive, and coordinated care for patients with neurological conditions, including those with Parkinson’s. The service specification describes how general outpatient neurology services must have explicit pathways in place to ensure patients can consistently access more specialised care at specialised neurology centres if not available locally.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on Parkinson’s disease in adults, reference code NG71, offers evidence‑based recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Parkinson’s. The NICE guidance recommends people with Parkinson’s should receive regular specialist review every six to 12 months, with a care plan developed through a multidisciplinary approach.

The Getting It Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) for Neurology is also driving service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s. GIRFT provides evidence‑based recommendations to streamline referral and outpatient pathways, improve data quality, and share best practice between National Health Service trusts. In addition, NHS England’s RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit provides practical, data‑driven tools to help systems reduce variation and improve multidisciplinary working. Together, these resources give ICBs a robust framework to develop accessible, well‑coordinated Parkinson’s services that better meet patient needs.