Scotland must follow a radical approach, providing "memory clinics" in every town and promoting vital early diagnosis of dementia, campaigners said yesterday.
Scotland must follow a radical approach, providing "memory clinics" in every town and promoting vital early diagnosis of dementia, campaigners said yesterday.
Alzheimer Scotland made the call as it emerged that every GP south of the border will be trained to spot early signs of dementia under plans to provide sufferers with a better quality of life launched yesterday.
The Department of Health in England and Wales hopes to reduce numbers of cases where people slip through the net. "Memory clinics" will also be set up in every town as places where patients can get treatment and support to live their lives as normally as possible, Care Services Minister Phil Hope said.
Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said a similar approach should be adopted in Scotland. He said: "We believe that it is vital that dementia training for GPs and other professionals becomes a priority in Scotland."
He said sufferers and their families often brush aside memory loss as part of growing old, and went on. "We need to break this view down, as it is often influenced by fear, stigma and a lack of understanding.
"This can result in a diagnosis that comes too late: the earlier the diagnosis, the more options there are for treatment and for the person being in control of their future support. With proper training for all professionals who work with people who have dementia, and by facilitating full support and planning in the early stages of the illness, the devastating impact of diagnosis can be lessened.
"In addition to being able to access appropriate drugs, comprehensive post-diagnostic support covering not only the medical but also the financial, legal, social and emotional implications of dementia can have a huge impact on quality of life.
"Alzheimer Scotland believes that no-one should experience dementia alone: be it the person with dementia, their carers or other people close to them."
There are 63,000 people with dementia in Scotland, 1600 of whom are under 65. This number will increase as the population ages - the estimated figure in 2025 is 84,300.
Dr Ken Lawton, chairman of the Scottish council of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said last night: "Diagnosis can be very difficult in the early stages. The onset can be quite insidious.
"GPs are certainly trained in recognising dementia, and certainly all new GPs coming through for the past 20 years will have had an element of training as part of their standard curriculum.
"There are a number of people who are under 60 who will develop dementia each year and that is a group that can be a bit more difficult to establish they have dementia."
He insisted: "I would think that (safeguards) are there within Scotland. "
The British Medical Association in Scotland declined to comment.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Dementia is a national priority and we agree that early recognition and diagnosis is an essential part of caring for people with dementia and their carers and families. We have introduced a new HEAT target for NHS boards to improve early diagnosis and early intervention, with each health board working towards an increase of 33% by March 2011.
"We are also working with the Dementia Services Development Centre and Alzheimer Scotland to invest £600,000 over the next three years on projects to improve immediate information, care and support following a patient's first diagnosis of dementia.
"In addition, we have published and will be accrediting standards for integrated care for dementia."
