76945-268FOR years Gillian Pinkerton knew something was wrong. Doctors put her hand tremors and shaky legs down to "nerves."

But in 1990 her concerns proved well-founded she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The condition affects 120,000 people nationally. Yet it seems doctors in many parts of the country are still failing to read the signs and make the correct diagnosis.

A new survey carried out by the Parkinson's Disease Society reveals 90 per cent of its members think doctors need to consult the medical books more.

Fortunately the situation in Swindon is rosier, says Mrs Pinkerton, 70, who lives with husband, Greg, 65, in Coleview.

Mr Pinkerton is the chairman of the Swindon and District branch of the charity, which has 150 members.

He puts the climate of change down to the professionalism of staff at Great Western Hospital, which has a specialist centre to help sufferers of age-related disorders.

According to the survey, one in five patients still does not have a local Parkinson's disease consultant.

"Doctors don't always have the answer they don't see enough people with the condition," said Mr Pinkerton.

"So it's essential that they have someone to turn to with specialist knowledge.

"GPs in Swindon have very strong links with The Betjeman Centre which is in the north wing of GWH.

"The consultant, Debesh Mukherjee, and his team do a great job."

The disease often starts with hand tremors. Other symptoms include muscle rigidity or stiffness and slow movement.

Too often, doctors make mistakes because symptoms vary so much, according to Elaine Ware, the secretary of the group.

Mrs Ware's father, Trevor Cole, died in October 2000 and Parkinson's disease was shown to be a contributory factor in his death

"Dr Mukherjee once told me that that we should refer to the condition as Parkinson's diseases because there are so many knock-on symptoms," she said.

Although there is no current treatment Mrs Ware wishes to make clear that sufferers can still lead full lives.

She said: "Too often people bury their heads in the sand mainly because there is no known cure.

"But there's no need. We work hard to make sure that our members enjoy life.

"We organise lots of social events.

"On Thursday 40 of us are off to watch a comedy in Shrivenham."

Disease causes the destruction of nerve cells

IN normal circumstances, nerve cells in the part of the brain called the basal ganglia produce the chemical dopamine.

Parkinson's disease attacks and destroys these nerve cells, meaning the brain is starved of dopamine.

This chemical helps relay messages from the central nervous system to muscles around the body.

Hand tremors are often the first sign of the disease, although the the Parkinson's Disease Society says symptoms vary massively between individuals.

As the disease progresses, movement and everyday tasks, such as washing and dressing, become more difficult.

Speech, too, can be affected. In more serious cases, dementia can set in.

After several years sufferers may develop a shuffling walk without arm movement.

Symptoms can be controlled with physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational health therapy.

In rare cases, surgeons have also successfully implanted a pacemaker-like device in patients' brains to help control the tremors.

Useful contacts

www.parkinsons.org.uk

National Helpline: 0808 800 0303

Greg Pinkerton on 01793 821743