---

Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce plans to speed up the diagnosis of dementia sufferers needing personal care. [9033] Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 22 October 2001]: The National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People was published on 27 March this year. It sets, for the first time, new national standards of care for all older people, across all care settings. It focuses on those conditions that mainly affect older people, including dementia. Standard 7 of the NSF relates to mental health and will ensure that those older people who have mental health problems have access to integrated mental health services, provided by the National Health Service and councils, to ensure effective diagnosis, treatment and support, for them and for their carers. In particular it emphasises how an early and accurate diagnosis of dementia enables older people and those caring for them to understand what is happening to them and to access appropriate help, including treatment and personal care. This will require effective integrated specialist mental health services. The NHS Plan provides for an additional 85 old age psychiatrists to ensure a prompt and responsive diagnostic service across the country. In addition, we are streamlining the assessment process to ensure better and more consistent assessments. The single assessment process for older people will be implemented by local health bodies and councils from April 2002. The Department intends to issue detailed guidance on the single assessment process in November. It will ask professionals to work together to ensure assessments are centred on the views and circumstances of older people, and that they are accurate, timely, and proportionate to needs. It will ask professionals to share assessment information, subject to proper observance of confidentiality, rather than duplicate each other's assessments as often happens now. The single assessment should therefore ensure that following a diagnosis of dementia individuals receive the prompt provision of care to meet their needs.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

9033; 373 c157W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Dementia Diagnosis Health services Older people Mental health services Waiting lists Standards Social services

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk