Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire is split by the county's two halves, and the split decides who your Parkinson's nurse is. East and north of the county, the specialist community team is run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust from Welwyn. West of the county, the route runs through Central London Community Healthcare's single point of access in Watford.
A hospital-based nurse, the charities and a home care provider sit around that.
Most families we meet have a consultant and a prescription, but not much else. They have heard that Parkinson's nurses exist but do not know whether there is one for them, or how to reach her. This guide answers that, service by service, with the numbers that were live when we checked.
Starling Homecare is a family run, CQC registered provider, and we support people with Parkinson's at home across the county. The clinical side, though, belongs to the NHS. Our job is the hours around it, so it helps us as much as you to know who covers what.
What a Parkinson's nurse does, and who can have one
Parkinson's UK describes the role plainly. Parkinson's nurses only work with people who have the condition. They help with coming to terms with a diagnosis and with getting medication right with fewer side effects. They also refer on to physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. If someone is admitted to hospital, the nurse can contact the ward to make sure medication is given on time.
Access follows two rules in England. First, community nurses have a designated area and can only see people registered with GP surgeries inside it. Second, hospital nurses can only see people under a consultant at that hospital, and sometimes only under particular consultants.
Either way, you need a definite diagnosis before any referral.
Referrals usually come from a GP, a consultant or a physiotherapist, so start with whoever you see most. If you cannot work out which route applies, call the Parkinson's UK helpline on 0808 800 0303. It can put you in touch with a local adviser who knows the position in Hertfordshire. It runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire east and north: the Danesbury team
If your GP is in east or north Hertfordshire, the specialist community service is the neuro community rehabilitation team at Danesbury Neurological Centre in Welwyn. It is run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, known as HCT. The team names specialist nurses for Parkinson's, alongside occupational therapy, physiotherapy, clinical psychology and rehabilitation assistants.
The trust's page says it runs nurse-led clinics for people with Parkinson's, and that people may be seen at home if their goals require it. It accepts referrals from hospitals, GPs and other health professionals. In addition, people seen in the past year can refer themselves back. The number is 0300 123 7571, while the referral email is hct.neuroservice@nhs.net.
The hospital side in the east is East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. It publishes a Parkinson's Nurse Specialist Service leaflet for people under its consultants at the Lister. So ask the consultant's secretary whether you are under a team that can refer you.
However, speech and language therapy and district nursing are separate HCT referrals, not part of the Danesbury team.
Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire west: the Watford route
If your GP is in Herts Valleys, community neurological rehabilitation comes through Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, known as CLCH. Herts Valleys covers St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Watford and Hertsmere. The west Hertfordshire referral route is the single point of access on 0300 020 0656, with referrals to Neuro.oplh@nhs.net.
The Parkinson's UK West Hertfordshire branch describes Parkinson's nurse specialists working within the county's neurological service. It places them at Langley House on St Albans Road in Watford, with a self-referral line on 01923 299106. That page is not dated. Therefore, treat the number as a starting point and confirm it when you call.
Families on the London edge, around Potters Bar and Radlett, sometimes hear about the Parkinson's Day Unit at Edgware Community Hospital. CLCH says it takes people from north central London and adjacent boroughs, and that anyone outside Barnet needs a GP referral. It is not a substitute for the Hertfordshire route. Even so, it is worth knowing it exists.
What to ask your GP for about Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire
Ask three things. Which side of the county is my surgery on for community neurology, and who is the Parkinson's nurse for that area? Is my consultant's hospital one that gives access to a hospital-based nurse?
Finally, has a referral to physiotherapy or occupational therapy been made? Those often come through the same team.
Then keep a note of the answers with the medication list. In our experience, the most useful thing a family can carry to any appointment is the exact dose timings. Add a note of what happens when a dose runs late. Our guide to why timing matters more than hours in Parkinson's care explains why.
Where Hertfordshire County Council fits
Meanwhile, the council's route is separate from the NHS one and does not need a diagnosis letter to begin. A care needs assessment under the Care Act looks at what someone can and cannot manage at home. A carer's assessment looks at the person supporting them. Our guide to asking for a care needs assessment in Hertfordshire sets out how to request one and what to expect.
The council can also arrange equipment and adaptations through occupational therapy. For Parkinson's, that often means rails, a raised toilet seat or a bed lever long before anyone needs a carer.
How Starling Homecare supports people with Parkinson's at home
Our part of Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire does not replace the nurse or the therapist. Our carers are the people in the house when the medication is due and when a meal needs preparing during a good window. They are also there when getting dressed takes longer than it did last month. In other words, every visit is timed to the medication plan rather than to a convenient slot.
We work alongside the NHS teams named above and pass on what we notice. After all, a carer who sees someone four mornings a week spots the change before a six-monthly clinic does. Our Parkinson's care at home service describes the visiting, overnight and live-in options. Visiting care starts from £34 a visit and is VAT exempt.
Where we provide Parkinson's care at home
Our carers support people with Parkinson's across all ten of the areas we cover. Each one has its own local team as well as its own number.
- St Albans: 01727 324 127
- Harpenden: 01582 824 830
- Welwyn Hatfield: 01707 714 000
- Potters Bar: 01707 714 000
- Hemel Hempstead: 01442 954 137
- Berkhamsted: 01442 954 137
- Tring: 01442 954 137
- Hitchin: 01462 534739
- Hertford: 01920 746779
- Radlett and Shenley: 01923 988 550
Common questions about Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire
Does Starling Homecare provide Parkinson's care at home in Hertfordshire?
Yes. We also provide visiting, overnight and live-in care for people with Parkinson's across the ten areas listed above, timed to the person's medication plan. Our carers work alongside the NHS Parkinson's nurses and therapists rather than replacing them.
How do I get a Parkinson's nurse in Hertfordshire?
It depends on where your GP is. In east and north Hertfordshire, ask for a referral to the HCT neuro community team at Danesbury in Welwyn on 0300 123 7571. In the west, the route is CLCH's single point of access on 0300 020 0656, and a definite diagnosis is needed first.
Can I refer myself to the Parkinson's team?
In east and north Hertfordshire, HCT accepts self-referrals from people its team has seen in the past year. Otherwise a GP, consultant or physiotherapist refers you. The Parkinson's UK helpline on 0808 800 0303 can explain the position for your area if you are unsure.
Knowing which side of the line you sit on turns Parkinson's support in Hertfordshire from a vague hope into a phone number. From there, the pieces fit together, and our teams across Hertfordshire are used to working around them.
Sources checked on 18 September 2026: Parkinson's UK, Parkinson's nurses; Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Neuro community therapy and specialist nursing; CLCH, Neuro-rehabilitation; CLCH, Parkinson's Disease; Parkinson's UK West Hertfordshire branch, Help from the NHS (undated); East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Parkinson's Nurse Specialist Service leaflet (October 2023). Our visiting care rate is as published on our care funding guide.
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