Team work sees dementia diagnosis rates rise above target and national average
More people are being diagnosed with dementia and therefore getting the help and support they need, thanks to a successful programme in Derby and Derbyshire.
The percentage of people diagnosed, compared to the estimated total number, stood at 67.9% in December, the last month for which figures are available.
This compared to the England average of 65.6% and the national target of 66.7%.
It is a steady increase since diagnosis rates plummeted from 72% pre-2020, to 62.5% in December 2022, after the impact of Covid caused many services to be suspended.
The rising diagnosis rate has also been achieved despite an estimated 30% increase in the numbers of people who have dementia over the past 10 years, due to the ageing population.
Dr Justin Walker, Derby and Derbyshire clinical lead for dementia, said: “Getting a diagnosis of dementia is important because it means people can help themselves, be supported if they know about it and plan for the future.
“They can adapt the way they live, it helps their family and friends and, when people have advanced dementia, it helps their carers and clinical professionals to support them appropriately.
“They can get support from local groups, they can apply for financial help or with social care and there are also drugs available that slow the onset of dementia.”
In Derby and Derbyshire there are three main routes to getting a diagnosis:
By GP referral to the Memory Assessment Service
Nurses and doctors at this service, which is provided by Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, carry out tests for cognition, take the person’s medical history and take a CT scan.
These tests may identify factors such as a stroke, or physical injury, that make dementia more likely. They also help to exclude the possibility of another cause, such as a brain cancer.
The consultations take place in community clinics across the county.
Diagnosis in a care home
Teams of aligned GPs, care practitioners and nurses from primary care work closely with the community mental health team to diagnose people who live in care homes.
Here people tend to be older and in the more advanced stages of dementia, so the tests that are carried out in community settings do not take place.
Older people who have dementia are more susceptible to falls, to delirium or to infection – all of which may lead to hospital admission.
The dementia diagnosis therefore supports the care of the older person to help avoid these risks.
Diagnosis in hospital
Some people admitted to hospital are assessed while there. This diagnosis is then used to support their care while in hospital and after discharge.
Dr Justin Walker, Derby and Derbyshire clinical lead for dementia, said: “It is the hard work of these three sets of teams that has helped us consistently to improve our diagnosis rate.
“That is an important success and it means that many thousands of people are now better able to manage their dementia.
“We will continue to work towards the 72% diagnosis rate we had pre-pandemic but we will also work to reduce the waiting time for the first appointment at the Memory Assessment Service clinics.
“We will also aim to get more diagnoses done in care homes and hospital.”
Local support for dementia in Derbyshire is available on the Dementia Derbyshire website.