Dr John O'Dwyer
Consultant Neurologist
MB, BCh, MA, MD, FRCP, RAMC
Languages spoken
English, French, Italian, Spanish
I have been a Consultant since 2010, now full-time in independent practice/private practice. I was Head of Neurology for North West London’s regional neurology centre at Imperial College Healthcare (St Mary’s Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital) from just before the COVID pandemic until 2022. I had been a consultant neurologist at Imperial College Healthcare, and previously a consultant at Frimley Park and St George's Hospital. I setup and implemented acute neurology for Imperial College, one of the first services in the country. I setup and ran the First Fit Clinic at Frimley and then at Charing Cross Hospital. I also setup and ran the Botox for Chronic Migraine Clinic at Frimley Park, and then managed and delivered it at Charing Cross Hospital.
I see all types of neurological presentations but with particular interest in headache, migraine, seizures and blackouts, epilepsy, tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dizziness, memory problems, dementia, walking disturbance and sensory symptoms.
Neurological treatments are very specialised, and with hundreds of drugs and other treatments for difficult neurological conditions, I have extensive experience with almost all of them. I have a wide knowledge of pharmacology and have been the neurology member of several regional Drugs & Therapeutics Committees. I am a strong advocate for emerging treatments in private practice, such as the CGRP drugs in migraine.
When it comes to procedures, I have performed hundreds of lumbar punctures and thousands of botulinum toxin injections for different conditions including dystonia (involuntarily muscle contractions), migraine, hemifacial spasm and spasticity.
Research is very important and I have been a principle investigator for several clinical trails and collaborated widely with others. Several of my understudies have published their work in major clinical journals recently and won several prestigious prizes for their work.
I am an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Neurology Consultant Advisor in the British Army. I am part of 306 Field Hospital (Hospital Support Regiment). I am also a companion member of the Order of Malta.
Treatment information
Some of the principal treatments carried out by Dr John O'Dwyer at Spire include:
Neurosurgery
- MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging scan)
Other treatments
- Alzheimers & dementia
- Ataxia
- Botulinum toxin for chronic migraine, dystonia & hemifacial spasm
- CGRP drugs for Migraine
- Dizziness and vertigo
- Epilepsy
- Erenumab
- Faints and fits
- Greater occipital nerve block
- Headache and chronic daily headache
- Lumbar puncture
- Migraine and chronic migraine
- Movement disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Seizures
- Sensory symptoms
- Stroke medicine
- Syncope
Get in touch
Additional information
Clinical interests
Headache
Movement disorders
Strokes
Special Clinical Interests: dementia, migraine
Qualification and professional memberships
Professional memberships
International League against Epilepsy
Professional leadership
Former Head of Neurology at Regional Neurosciences Centre (Imperial College Healthcare)
Neurology Transformation Group (NW London)
Head of Acute Neurology (Imperial College Healthcare)
Former Clinical Training Officer (306 Hospital Support Regiment) and Clinical Director (335 MER)
Current NHS posts
Full-time independent practice, ex Imperial College Healthcare, St George's Healthcare and Frimley Healthcare.
Personal profile
I have been living in London since 2010 and before that in Dublin. I have been a keen rugby player and played second row with Blackrock College RFC and then later with Beaconsfield RFC, as well as the obligatory contribution to hospitals rugby in Dublin. I love sailing and skippered and crewed in Dublin Bay for several years, coming second in a large one design yacht series many moons ago, but hopefully I will re-ignite that passion if I can get nearer to the sea.
Now I live in the lovely Chilterns with my wife Katherine who is an MD of a luxury travel company in London. She also runs a second business Gershon & Sons, selling fine cheese and wines to go with. We have two boys, nearly grown up, with their own careers and different paths ahead of them. We have a Cocker Spaniel who I am convinced is a re-incarnation of someone; or she could write a book if she could communicate in our manner.
When I can, my main hobby is golf and I also represent the Army Medical Services in the inter-corps matches. I also love skiing, both alpine and Nordic and have done some ski-touring with the army too.
Contact information
| Website | http://www.privateneurology.org |
| Private secretary | Maggie Butcher |
| Private secretary telephone | 07746 578 393 |
| Private secretary email | pa@privateneurology.org |