GP Martin Brunet offers a fascinating appraisal of how
dementia is diagnosed, and what should happen when a positive diagnosis is
made. He describes the latest government £55 'bribe' to GP's as 'hare-brained',
and offers alternative recommendations. He advocates,
- not referring patients to 'memory clinics'. They just
serve to frighten people recently diagnosed with dementia
- the appointment of a trained memory worker for each GP
practice
- having memory clinics attend GP practices.
He highlights a disparity between the resources freely on
offer to the newly born, to the vacuum newly diagnosed dementia patients
receive. Well trained memory workers can fill this void, "...expanding
[people's] horizons rather than closing them down".
He also suggests ways in which this new approach could be
(in part at least) funded:
- diverting the £5 million GP incentive scheme
- abolishing the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation
payment, "...an expensive box-ticking exercise of questionable
value".
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