OBJECTIVES: The impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the quality of life of both patients and their carers has not been well documented. This study describes the health status of both PD patients and caregivers as measured on a generic measure of health status (SF-12), and then explores to what extent patient self-reported health, as measured on the disease-specific Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), is associated with carer strain and self-reported quality of life. METHODS: A postal survey was carried out of both patients and caregivers through local branches of Parkinson’s UK. Questionnaire packs were sent to those on the database with a diagnosis of PD. Patients were asked to give the carer questionnaire to their main caregiver, if they had one. RESULTS: Results suggest that PD has substantial adverse effects on both the physical (measured by the Physical Component Summary, PCS) and mental well-being of patients (measured by the Mental Component Summary, MCS) when compared with population norms. Most strikingly PD patients PCS scores fall within the lowest 10% of results, compared with a wider general population sample. While carer physical health was not found to be substantially different from that of the general population, emotional health was severely compromised with a MCS score that places them in the lowest 22% of the population. Regression analysis suggests that the major predictors of carer strain are the PDQ scales of mobility and social support. Carer strain was found to be closely associated with carer mental health. CONCLUSIONS: PD impacts on the well being of both patients and caregivers; the data provide evidence that the health status of the patient, in particular their physical health, has a significant impact on the well-being of their caregivers.