They have sent out the message to reassure patients that the Sutton Road hospital will continue to provide a specialist, dedicated clinic after some sufferers had received letters telling them their appointments had been postponed –– fuelling speculation the service had been affected by cuts.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, insists there has been no cuts and hopes to have the service back to normal after Christmas.

Said a trust spokesman: "The Parkinson's Disease Clinic, led by Professor Jagdish Sharma, is dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's Disease.

"There has been a recent short-term staffing issue, but this will be resolved in the New Year. Our patients can be reassured that we have strong processes and practices in place to ensure that high standards of service will always be provided by our dedicated Parkinson's Disease clinic team."

But Teversal pensioner Peter Millhouse (75), who was diagnosed with the illness 18 months ago, says he has been left in the dark about the situation since his last hospital visit.

Speaking from his Coppy Close home, he said: "The last time I went to see the specialist nurse was in March. My next appointment was set for December, but last week I received a letter to say that my appointment had been postponed with no reason given."

Mr Millhouse is a member of the Mansfield branch of the Parkinson's Society, which meets every month at Dallas Street in the town and organises outings for sufferers and their carers.

"We heard that the nurse had 950 patients from Mansfield, Ashfield and Newark — and there are some really bad cases at Dallas Street who really need it," he said. "Parkinson's is a progressive disease and you must have regular assessments."