A consultant who has dedicated his life to helping people with Parkinson’s disease has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work.

Dr John Hindle, consultant physician for the care of the elderly, won the 2018 British Geriatrics Society Marjory Warren Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr Hindle, who lives near Colwyn Bay, worked at Llandudno Hospital for 28 years up until his retirement this year and was responsible for setting up the first specialised Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Clinic in Wales.

Although he was based at Llandudno Hospital he also carried out clinics at and ward work at Dolgellau Hospital, Ysbyty Eryri in Caernarfon, and Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley in Holyhead.

Dr Hindle, who was a former clinical director for medicine for the North West Wales NHS Trust and later the Clinical Lead for Neurosciences for Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, said he was delighted to receive the award.

He said: “I am very honoured to receive this award and it is a great reflection on the work carried out by the team over the last 28 years.

“I’m very grateful to my colleagues in North Wales, we work as a team so I wouldn’t have been able to do what I have done without them.

“Even though I trained originally in psychiatry and other medical specialities including neurology, I developed a passion for geriatric medicine.

"When I arrived in North Wales as a Consultant in 1990 I soon discovered there were many people living here with Parkinson’s which is what spurred us on to set up the Parkinson’s clinic.

“Parkinson’s can be extremely challenging and you can see the same patients for a number of years, you get to know them personally and also their families.

“Our clinics were so successful because of the amazing team involved, in particular the Parkinson’s nurses and it was always a delight to visit the other community hospitals.

“To me this award reflects the hard work of the team and the lengths they have taken to ensure we provide the best service possible for our patients with Parkinson’s.”

Anne Thomas, senior nurse at Dolgellau Hospital outpatients department, congratulated Dr Hindle on his achievement and said he would be missed by the team.

She said: “Dolgellau Hospital staff are privileged to have worked with Dr Hindle.

“He made a real difference to the lives of his patients and was extremely supportive to staff.

"He was also an innovator, introducing video conferencing clinics that reduce the need for older people in rural areas to travel long distances, as well as increasing the capacity of clinics.

“He will be very much missed by patients and staff and we all wish him well in his retirement.”