Government plans to cut waiting lists in England are a good start, but don’t go far enough

The government’s plan to reform elective care in England is a good start. But with the waiting list for neurology appointments at over 235,000 people and only about half of patients being seen within the 18-week target, urgent action is needed to tackle the chronic shortage of Parkinson’s specialists.

Read more about the plan to reform elective care on the NHS England website.

The plan sets out some positive proposals that could improve care for people with Parkinson’s:

• Empowering patients to take control of their healthcare through better use of the NHS App to manage appointments and referrals. We are pleased to see a commitment to face-to-face and non-digital options remaining for people who face barriers to using digital technology.  
• Group appointments and one-stop clinics, as well as boosting the use of the ‘Advice and Guidance’ service to give GPs quick access to specialist clinicians. This could allow for faster decisions to be made about the care and treatment of people with Parkinson’s. Addressing the shortage of Parkinson’s specialists in the NHS will be critical for these proposals to have an impact.
• Increasing the number of bone density scanners to improve bone health is welcome. People with Parkinson's are significantly more likely to have osteoporosis and fractures, with worse outcomes, but often aren't assessed for fracture risk. Our Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network's bone health service improvement project has created resources to help with bone health assessments. Read more about the Better Bone Health Service Improvement Project.

The headline proposals, such as increased diagnostic and surgical capacity, do not include measures to speed up the diagnosis of Parkinson’s or improve access to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, so is unlikely to benefit people with the condition. 

Similarly, increasing the use of remote consultations and patient initiated follow-up isn’t always appropriate for people with Parkinson’s because the condition is complex and requires regular and holistic follow-ups.

We're disappointed that neurology hasn’t been prioritised for significant elective care reform. Neurology services rank near the bottom for meeting the 18-week target, 21st out of 23 specialities. The NHS waiting list for neurology is almost 100,000 patients larger than pre-pandemic levels. Despite this, neurology has been consistently overlooked in national plans for the NHS.

We will continue to call for detailed measures to increase the Parkinson’s specialist workforce, which is desperately needed so that people with the condition receive the care they deserve. We remain committed to working with the government and NHS England to make sure the needs of people with Parkinson’s are fully considered and addressed.

Caroline Rassell, Chief Executive Officer a Parkinson’s UK, said:
"The government’s plan to reform elective care in England is a good start. Proposals like boosting the ‘Advice and Guidance’ service and increasing bone density scanners offer some potential benefits for people with Parkinson’s. However, with neurology waiting lists exceeding 235,000 and only half of patients being seen within the 18-week target, the reforms do not go far enough to tackle unacceptable delays.

"Neurology services rank 21st out of 23 specialities for meeting the target, yet they remain overlooked in national NHS plans. Without addressing the chronic workforce shortages, particularly of Parkinson’s specialists, the plan will struggle to deliver the meaningful improvements needed. We're committed to working with the government to ensure people with Parkinson’s receive the timely, specialist care they need."