Don’t miss out on having your say on changes to dementia services.
There’s just two weeks left to have your say on NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) review of the dementia pathway, which sets out proposed changes to improve services from the point of diagnosis to end of life care.
Dr Paul French, CCG lead for Mental Health and Dementia, said: “Working alongside patients, carers and clinicians, we found that dementia services could be working better. Since launching the public consultation on our proposals, we have engaged with residents in locations across Dorset to gather their views.
“It’s clear we need to do things differently to meet growing demand and provide everyone with the same, high quality access to care and support. Our goal is not only to make sure patients with dementia and their carers are able to live well, but to make sure they are able to live their lives to the full.”
Over 300 people helped the CCG to design and develop different models of care, narrowing down an initial long list of options. The proposals have been scrutinised by local Health Scrutiny Committees and the Wessex Clinical Senate, an independent group of healthcare professionals who assess whether they believe proposals will improve patient care.
Dianne Bardwell, Dementia Services Review Project Manager at the CCG, commented: “Dementia affects so many people living in Dorset, either directly or indirectly with loved ones living with the illness, who require support. That is why it’s so important to engage with local people on our plans.
“The preferred option would see an additional investment of £670,000 for dementia services during the first year alone, helping to make the diagnostic process smoother and quicker, introduce 32 new dementia coordinator roles and provide emotional well being workshops to help family carers cope with stress and challenging behaviours.”
The review would see a range of new services including improved support provided in the patient’s own home to enable people to remain independent for as long as possible. Alderney Hospital in Poole would continue to provide specialist inpatient beds for the small numbers of patients who cannot be treated at home or in more familiar settings.
The public consultation will close on Sunday 11 August 2019.
To watch an animation on the proposed changes and to have your say, go to www.dorsetccg.nhs.uk/dementia
