NTF Conference

28th March, Vermont Hotel, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1RQ

The National Tremor Foundation's 2026 Conference will take place in Newcastle with guest speakers.

Speakers
Professor Peter Bain, NTF Trustee and Clinical Adviser
Carl Beech, Beech Band
Paula Bennett, Age UK
Dr Matteo Ciocca, NTF Trustee and Clinical Adviser
Jackie Farrell, NTF Support Group Coordinator
Karen Hull, Neuro-Physiotherapist
Dr David Ledingham, Consultant Neurologist
Ian Sharp, NTF in Scotland

Stalls
Boston Scientific 
Beech Band
DBS Nurses Association
Insightec
NTF stall

Agenda

View the agenda

Speaker biographies

Professor Peter Bain
Professor Peter Bain is a Reader and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Neurology at Imperial College London and Charing Cross Hospital. He is an international authority on tremor, Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders, and deep brain stimulation, with over 100 peer reviewed publications and extensive experience as an invited speaker at major international congresses.

He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal Society of Medicine, and a trustee and co founder of the National Tremor Foundation, where he supports research, knowledge sharing, and improved care for people living with tremor.

Carl Beech
When his health and wellbeing took a turn for the worse at 51, charity activist and founder Carl Beech began to give up hope. But having spent his adult life helping others, he was determined not to give up on himself. Along with friend Nick, Carl invented the BeechBand, a wellness device, based on the heartbeat a baby would feel in the mother’s womb, and the effect on his wellbeing was dramatic. Since launching last year, we have heard from thousands about how the BeechBand is helping them to believe in better days.

Sarah Bennett
Sarah Bennett is Community & Locality Engagement Coordinator, Age UK North Tyneside. Age UK North Tyneside Group was established in 1972 and has grown to become one of the largest local voluntary organisations in the borough.

Their vision is a world where everyone enjoys later life, with a mission of helping people make more of life. They support individuals aged 50+ with information and advice, physical and social activities. They also support individuals who require care with specialist dementia activities and extra care schemes through their partner, EveryDay.

Dr Matteo Ciocca
Dr Matteo Ciocca is a Consultant Neurologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, specialising in movement disorders. His clinical expertise includes advanced tremor therapies, particularly Deep Brain Stimulation and MR guided Focused Ultrasound.

He is actively involved in research to improve the understanding and treatment of tremor, with a focus on optimising existing interventions and developing new non pharmacological approaches to care.

Dr David Ledingham 
Dr David Ledingham is a Consultant Neurologist specialising in movement disorders at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University.

He leads the Newcastle movement disorders service, managing complex Parkinson’s disease, tremor, and dystonia cases, including advanced therapies such as deep brain stimulation, and has a research focus on biomarker driven and device aided approaches to care.

Ian Sharp
Ian Sharp is 72 years old. He first noticed something was wrong when he was in his early thirties while working as a process engineering manager in the electronics industry. During this time, he began to notice that his handwriting was becoming increasingly difficult to control.

It was not until his early forties that he was diagnosed with essential tremor. At that time he was offered deep brain stimulation (DBS), but he felt the procedure was too risky.

In his fifties his right hand became affected, making even the simplest tasks almost impossible. However, after undergoing the MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) procedure, his quality of life improved immensely.

Organisations

The Age UK North Tyneside Group

The Age UK North Tyneside Group was established in 1972 and has grown to become one of the largest local voluntary organisations in the borough. Our vision is a world where everyone enjoys later life, with a mission of helping people make more of life. We support individuals aged 50+ with information and advice, physical and social activities. We also support individuals who require care with specialist dementia activities and extra care schemes through our partner, EveryDay. 

Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. Our commitment to transforming lives through meaningful innovation is more than a goal, it’s how we’re advancing science for life. We’re fulfilling our brand promise by focusing on solutions that matter most, pursuing excellence and collaborating with healthcare professionals.

Please note:

If you plan to invite a friend, relative or partner to this event, we kindly ask you to register them as well.