Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the NHS takes to identify symptoms of dementia among elderly patients in hospital.

Jane Ellison

NHS England developed the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework for 2015/16 which contains a national goal on improving dementia care. The dementia CQUIN aims to help identify patients with dementia and other causes of cognitive impairment, alongside their other medical conditions and to prompt appropriate referral and follow up after they leave hospital.

The three main aims of the CQUIN are to identify, assess and refer those presenting with symptoms of dementia. In order to identify individuals with dementia members of staff will ask members of the family or friends of a person admitted to hospital if the patient has suffered any problems with their memory in the last 12 months. If there is evidence to suggest a problem with their memory, that person will be given a dementia risk assessment and then based on the results of the assessment a referral would be made for further support either to a liaison team, a memory clinic or a general practitioner.