Foreword October 2007
Back to October contents
 With
new prevalence projections estimating that the current number of people
with dementia in the United Kingdom (683,597) will rise to 1,735,087 by
2051 (Alzheimer’s Society 2007), it is good to hear that the Government
is to make dementia a national priority for funding.
This
was announced by Health Minister Ivan Lewis on 6 August 2007 in response
to two significant reports, from the National Audit Office (‘Improving
services and support for people with dementia’, NAO 2007) and the London
School of Economics and Institute of Psychiatry (‘Dementia UK’,
Alzheimer’s Society 2007). Mr Lewis recognised that, “The current
system is failing too many dementia sufferers and their carers” and
stated his determination that this disease “is brought out of the
shadows”.
The NAO report
found that the Department of Health had given little priority to dementia,
partly because of the focus on other major diseases, such as cancer and
heart disease. Only a third of people with dementia are ever diagnosed,
the report stated, and many GPs fail to recognise the importance of early
diagnosis. Furthermore, the UK was in the bottom third of countries for
giving drugs to people with dementia, while the average time taken to
diagnose patients was twice as long as some countries. NAO Head, Sir John
Bourn said, “Without redesign, services for people with dementia are
likely to become increasingly inconsistent and unsustainable. Dementia
can no longer be set aside. The issues raised in this report need to be
addressed as a matter of urgency.”
The
LSE and Institute of Psychiatry report was stated as being, “The most
detailed and robust picture to date of prevalence and economic impact of
dementia in the UK”. It found marked variations in the levels of service
provision across the UK, and care being delivered in a piecemeal and
inefficient fashion. Professor Martin Knapp, of the LSE, one of the
report’s authors, said, “This research highlights the desperate need
for dementia to be made a national priority. Current levels of services
and support for people with dementia and carers are clearly inadequate.”
The Government’s response to
these and other reports has been to announce the establishment of a
National Dementia Strategy Group to produce, in 12 months, the first ever
National Dementia Strategy in response to "one of the great
challenges now facing society”.
Detailed content of the 12 month work programme
will be determined as it evolves. However, the workstreams will
cover the following themes:
Improved awareness
- developing
a better understanding of dementia by public and professionals alike;
- ensuring
that better information is provided on how to seek help and what help
and treatment is available; and
- tackling
the stigma and misunderstandings that currently exist.
Early diagnosis and intervention
- ensuring
that effective services for early diagnosis and intervention are
available in future on a nationwide basis, to enable those suffering
from the illness to make choices and to avoid crisis intervention
Improving
the quality of care for dementia
- enhancing
joint health and social care mental health teams in the community so
people with dementia and their families and carers receive the support
they need;
- improving
intermediate care services so that alternatives to hospital admission
are available, and early discharge from acute and mental health
hospitals is possible for people with dementia;
- improving
systems to manage people with acute confusion and dementia during
emergency and acute care, and to prevent unnecessary admission to
hospital because of a lack of alternatives;
- improving
liaison services that can enable effective management in hospital and
intermediate care; and
- building
better skills and understanding of dementia in the health and social
care workforce so that all those working with older people develop
core skills in this area.
I’m
sure that all of us will follow progress made within the National Dementia
Strategy Group closely over the forthcoming year and eagerly await
publication of the first ever National Dementia Strategy. The announcement
feels like a very significant breakthrough, but real progress will only be
made when increased government resources follow and end up in our health
and social care budgets.
Dr
Simon O'Donovan
Clinical
Director Mental Health Services for Older People
Consultant Nurse Older Vulnerable Adults
Cardiff
and Vale NHS Trust
Signpost Journal produced by Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust
in
association with Dementia Services Development Centre Wales.
Tel. 029 2033 6073.
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