Government must enthuse GPs to improve early diagnosis of dementia

The national clinical director for dementia in England said that one of his key priorities was to “engage and enthuse” GPs to achieve much earlier diagnosis of dementia and a reduction in the prescription of antipsychotic drugs.

Alistair Burns told a Westminster Health Forum seminar on improving dementia care that the department of health had now set out quality outcomes which built on the National Dementia Strategy of February 2009. He outlined its four main objectives:

• Good quality early diagnosis and intervention for all

• Improved quality of care in general hospitals

• Living well with dementia in care homes

• Reduced use of antipsychotic drugs

The revised plan follows two reports highly critical of the slow progress on dementia services. The first was …