Cornish Parkinson’s Nurse Celebrated by Royalty

Legacy of UK’s first Parkinson’s nurse honoured at St James’s Palace

A celebration marking 35 years of specialist Parkinson’s nursing has taken place at St James’s Palace – and it all started in Cornwall.

The event was hosted by the Duchess of Gloucester and recognised the pioneering work of Parkinson’s nurse specialists across the UK. Among the 20 specialists invited was Lynne Osborne, Trust Parkinson’s Consultant Nurse, who shared insights from her work and Cornwall’s lasting contribution to Parkinson’s care.

A Cornish First

In 1989, Rosemary McGuire became the UK’s first specialist Parkinson’s nurse – a role created after consultants in Cornwall identified a need. In 2000, Cornwall became the first county in the UK to have a specialist Parkinson’s Consultant Nurse.

There are now more than 500 Parkinson’s nurse specialists in the UK – all following the same framework that began in Cornwall.

Lynne said:

“People with Parkinson’s were often overlooked in hospital. They were either there unnecessarily or not followed up.

For example, some patients were having issues with constipation and not treated. Constipation stops Parkinson’s medication from absorbing, meaning symptoms are not managed.”

Royal Interest in Parkinson’s Care

According to Lynne, the Duchess of Gloucester showed a real interest in the role of nurse specialists and current developments in Parkinson’s treatment.

“The Duchess was keen to hear about how many people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s. She asked questions about what the nurse specialist role involves. She also asked about new developments in medication. It was an exciting day.”

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. Around 1,600 people in Cornwall and 153,000 across the UK are living with it. Every hour, two more people in the UK are diagnosed – that’s 18,000 a year. There is currently no cure.

Cornwall’s Lasting Impact

Reflecting on the recognition, Lynne said:

“It was an honour to be at the event and to be part of the 35-year celebrations. The service first started in Cornwall and it has come a long way since then.

Parkinson’s UK provide a bursary for aspiring specialist nurses. It is named after our first specialist nurse, Rosemary McGuire. Areas across the country have modelled their teams on Cornwall. This makes me immensely proud.”