Results of the UK’s largest ever survey of people with Parkinson’s and carers

There are approximately 120,000 people with Parkinson’s in the UK. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder for which there is currently no cure. It results from the loss of the chemical messenger dopamine within the brain and affects learned voluntary movements such as walking, talking, writing and swallowing. As the condition progresses it impacts on all aspects of the person’s life and the lives of those around them.  The following report contains the key fi ndings from the largest ever survey conducted in the UK of people with Parkinson’s and carers of people living with the condition.  The survey provides a signifi cant insight into all aspects of life with Parkinson’s. It includes information about the experiences of diagnosis, health and social care services and support from the Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS) as well as demographic data.