The autonomic nervous system supplies and influences virtually every organ in the body. Additionally, it is involved in major integrative processes such as control of blood pressure and body temperature.
The autonomic unit provides a comprehensive national tertiary clinical service (combining both investigation and management) for a wide variety of autonomic disorders. The unit enables people with autonomic symptoms, some of which are multiple and complex, to successfully manage their daily lives. Some examples are:
- Pure Autonomic Failure
- Autonomic dysfunction complicating Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
- Sweating dysfunction (including hyperhidrosis, compensatory hyperhidrosis and anhidrosis)
- Holmes-Adie Syndrome, Harlequin’s Syndrome
- Autonomic dysfunction in spinal cord injury including autonomic dysreflexia
- Neurally mediated syncope (Vasovagal, carotid sinus hypersensitivity and situational e.g. swallow, micturition syncope)
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS)
- Neurogenic hypertension
- Autonomic diabetic neuropathy.
There are four laboratories incorporating the latest advances in non-invasive technology and a catecholamine laboratory for the measurement of various autonomic neurotransmitters.
As autonomic dysfunction is a feature of many neurological conditions, there is close and active clinical collaboration with many NHNN departments and disciplines including clinical neurophysiology, clinical neuropsychology, movement disorders, and behavioural psychotherapy. Research affiliations include the Functional Imaging Laboratory at the ION, the ICN, the Department of Medicine at UCL, and the National Amyloidosis Centre at the Royal Free Hospital.
Patient contact
General enquiries
Service management
David OKeefe
Other contact information
Clinical lead: Dr Valeria Iodice
Testing/diagnostic queries: 020 3448 3739, 020 3448 3049
Address
Autonomic unit
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
2nd Floor
Queen Mary Wing
Queen Square
London WC1N 3BG
GP contact
Other referral information
GP referrals
GP referrals (on the advice of consultants) must be submitted electronically via NHS e-referrals (formely Choose and Book).
Tertiary Referrals
Referrals from consultants in all specialities from around the country can be submitted by post or fax or email; approximately 50% of our referrals come from outside the home counties.
Referral address
Autonomic Unit
Box 87
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Queen Square
London
WC1N 3BG
The National Autonomic MDT was established in 2025 at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery to offer high quality care for adults with suspected/confirmed autonomic disorders. It currently runs on a weekly basis. The meeting was established to facilitate the discussion and management of adult patients with suspected or confirmed autonomic disorders. Patients from UCLH and from any other UK NHS Trust can be discussed after referral from their lead clinician.
Contact email:
uclh.
Referral information for healthcare providers:
The National Autonomic MDT meeting occurs every Wednesday at 11am. Proformas should be submitted by Tuesday at 10am. Attendance is by invitation only. Clinicians can request an invitation by contacting uclh.enquiry.autonomic.secretaries@nhs.net. Clinicians from all specialities and from any NHS hospital are welcome to join. A proforma will need to be completed and all patients will be registered at UCLH for accurate documentation.
Referral forms:
- Fainting (syncope, posturally induced dizziness) episodes disorders of temperature regulation (including excessive sweating; hyperhidrosis) - these may be a key component of predominantly autonomic diseases such as pure autonomic failure, multiple system atrophy or may be a complication of diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body disease or amyloidosis.
- Low blood pressure
- Orthostatic (postural) hypotension
Other disorders we provide care for include:
- Acute/subacute dysautonomia
- Amyloidosis (familial and primary)
- Anihidrosis
- Congenital autonomic failure
- Diabetes mellitus
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Holmes-Adie syndrome
- Hyperhidrosis (essential and gustatory)
- Neurally mediated syncope (vasovagal, micturition, cough, swallow and other situational forms, carotid sinus supersenstivity)
- Pheochromocytoma
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS)
- Transverse myelitis
Where relevant extended through clinical autonomic nurse specialist.
The autonomic unit shares care with GPs and local consultants.
