As an MP for a constituency with a high proportion of older people, I was pleased to hear of David Cameron’s announcement last December that the Government will double its investment into dementia research by 2025. The Prime Minister has committed to deliver major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015 as dementia is one of the biggest challenges we face. Currently one in twenty people over 65 suffer from dementia and this increases to one in four for the over 85 year olds.
Without a doubt dementia is a life-changing illness which affects individuals and their families. We are extremely fortunate in Bexhill and Battle that the local Hastings and Rother Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are pioneers in dementia care. Locally, we benefitted from the Government’s £52 million invested in dementia research in 2012-13 as our forward-thinking health professionals created a pilot scheme to set up a Memory Assessment Service delivered by qualified GPs. It is the first such scheme in the country.
At the invitation of the Hastings and Rother CCG Chairman, Dr Roger Elias, I visited Pebsham surgery in Bexhill last Friday to find out more about the Memory Assessment Service and to experience what a memory assessment test involves.
Even though I don’t suffer from dementia, I did approach the idea of having an assessment with a little trepidation. This brought home to me how much more anxious I might be if I thought I may have dementia. Let’s not beat about the bush, being told you may be in the early stages of dementia is not an easy thing to come to terms with but early diagnosis also means that you and your family will have access to drug treatments and a wide variety of support that will definitely be of great help and may slow down the progress of dementia.
I met Dr Stephen French and Dr Lindsay Hadley at Pebsham surgery who have been involved in setting up the local Memory Assessment Service and are fully trained in dementia assessment and treatment. They explained that the new service takes a holistic approach to helping people with dementia. People will be cared for and treated by local GPs rather than having to visit hospital to see psychiatrists which can be more intimidating. The other advantages are that you will be cared for by GPs who actually know you and you will be seen in a more familiar environment.
Taking the first step in seeking a diagnosis is done at your local GP surgery. It involves having a chat with your GP to discuss your concerns and he or she will run though some simple questions. Your GP may then decide to run some blood tests and send you for a CT scan to aid diagnosis and to rule out any other illnesses or conditions which may present similar symptoms as dementia.
Depending on the results you may then be referred to a local Memory Assessment Clinic whose qualified staff will run more detailed screening assessments. From my experience I can say that this is not at all intimidating. You may then be offered anti-dementia drugs and will be given information on a wide range further support for you, your family and friends.
I am very proud that we have a pioneering health professional in Hastings and Rother whose success in diagnosing and supporting patients with dementia has already been proven and is now being rolled out to other areas in East Sussex. I would urge anyone who is worried that they may have dementia to make an appointment with their local GP and be reassured that you will receive caring and professional support from local experts.