Moves to improve dementia diagnosis rates Hereford Journal, 4 December 2013, p 3
by David Hetterley Hereford Journal Home page here
Dementia Home page here
Dementia diagnosis rates in Herefordshire are amongst the worst in the country, shock findings have revealed.
Just 32.8 per cent of people with the condition in the area ever receive
a diagnosis, meaning they do not have access to potential treatments,
support or information.
The state-of-the nation report and interactive map, published by the Department of Health, shows that this is 15.2 per cent less than the national average of 48 per cent.
David Ash, Alzheimer's Society regional operations manager, said: "There are more than 3,000 people with dementia in Herefordshire yet shockingly more than two thirds are being kept in the dark without a diagnosis. A diagnosis opens the door to an invaluable helping hand that can enable people with dementia to live a good quality of life and plan for the future."
Roadshow
He added: "The Alzheimer's Society is committed to working with health and social care providers, both nationally and in Herefordshire, to ensure we help drive diagnosis rates up and that people with dementia receive the best support possible."
The Dementia Community Roadshow is also travelling across the country offering free information and advice to anyone with queries about the condition, as well as helping to pro-mote the benefits of an early diagnosis.
With diagnosis rates ranging from 64.1 per cent to 32.8 per cent in the West Midlands and between 75 and 33 in England, Alzheimer's Society is now calling on health and social care bodies across England to set dementia as a local priority example more and for best practice to be shared.
The society works with both GPs and the public to increase awareness and understanding about diagnosis. Its Worried About Your Memory? campaign here distributed leaflets about dementia to more than 10,000 GP surgeries around the UK.
Members of the public are able to access the map via dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk/map/
If people are worried about their memory, Alzheimer's Society recommends that they speak to their GP.
Hereford Journal Home page here
Living Well with Dementia in Herefordshire - A Joint Commissioning Plan for NHS Herefordshire & Herefordshire Council here
