Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that the six item cognitive impairment test is properly used to diagnose dementia.

Jane Ellison

The diagnosis of dementia is a clinical decision and one which needs to be made by suitably trained clinicians. The six item cognitive impairment test is one of a number of tools used to help and support clinicians when assessing individuals who are considered to have the early signs of dementia. Different tests and diagnosis tools are used by clinicians, dependent on the circumstances which are presented to them.