Agenda item

Matthew Cole, Director of Public Health, presented the report and explained that a national challenge had been set by the Prime Minister in 2012 to improve dementia diagnosis and care.  In order to asses current and future service needs the Office of Public Management (OPM) had been the commissioned to deliver a an assessment of local need, services and areas of improvement.  Details of the methodology and consultations undertaken were set out in the report. 

It was estimated that in the Borough 1,537 people had dementia, but only 669 were diagnosed and recorded on GP registers.  It was expected that locally the number of people with dementia would grow by 10% over the next 10 years.  It was clear from the OPM report that there work would be required to improve upon both detection of those with dementia and the support and services provided.

Matthew Cole advised that the report had now been to both the Integrated Care Sub-Group and the Mental Health Sub-Group and the Action Plan had been agreed with the Chair. 

Councillor Carpenter drew the Board’s attention to section 3 of the report and the comment ‘that the number of people with dementia in LBBD will rise by approximately 10% over the coming decade; however this increase is much steeper in the 90+ age group, with the number of people with dementia in this age group increasing by 50% in this time’ and asked if this was in line with trends elsewhere.  Matthew Cole responded that the borough is anticipating higher levels: due to its higher prevalence of poor general health and higher levels of risk factors for vascular dementia, such as heart disease, diabetes and smoking rates. 

Councillor Carpenter also asked for clarification in regards to the Action Plan in regards to increasing the capacity of hospital specialists and also the Admiral Nurses and memory services.  Matthew Cole confirmed that Admiral Nurses had been commissioned and explained that there would be commissioning implications in regards to the availability of trained staff in future years and added that in preparation for this BHRUT had placed a greater emphasis on training hospital staff and had introduced screening for all over 65 year olds that were admitted to hospital.  Matthew Cole added that there was also a greater awareness of dementia in the borough and people were beginning to be assessed and diagnosed in the early stages. 

In response to a question from Helen Jenner, Corporate Director of Children’s Services, Matthew Cole confirmed that there were no additional financial implications to those already provided for in the five year plan.

Dr Mohi commented that work would be needed, in association with GPs, on identifying patients earlier, as early identification could have improved patient outcomes, however, this would have resource implications as an increased number of patients progressed through the support systems.  Anne Bristow agreed that this could be the case but felt that there was undoubtedly money being spent on people who had been given the wrong diagnosis, and this was especially important where an earlier correct diagnosis would had been more productive and cost effective in the long-term. 

Councillor Turner apprised the Board of the work that was undertaken by the ‘Magic Me’ charity in providing interaction between children and older adults in care homes and the benefits this had to wellbeing and intergenerational understanding. 

Steven Burgess stated that he felt a good start had been made.  The assessments were indicating that some 25% of acute patients admitted to hospital had some form of dementia.  Training, the blue butterfly system and feeding buddies was improving understanding of dementia within BHRUT, especially on-wards.  Steven Burgess added that Guys and St Thomas hospitals are leading centres for dementia and work would be undertaken with them to share knowledge and good practice, in addition he would see if a presentation he had seen by them could be shared with the Board at a future meeting.

The Board:

(i)  Endorsed the Action Plan, set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)  Requested the Integrated Care Sub-Group, with support from the Mental Health Sub-Group, to lead and review progress against the Action Plan and provide updates in line with the Better Care Fund;

(iii)   Requested the Director of Public Health to investigate the use of the ‘Magic Me’ charity project in LBBD; and,

(iv)  Noted that update reports would be presented to the Board.