National Audit Office report on Dementia Services 

The National Audit Office interim report, Improving Dementia Services in England published on 14 January looks at the progress of the 2009 National Dementia Strategy one year on.  It found that significant steps have been taken to address dementia but also notes a number of areas to be addressed. These include:

• Strategy: more information is needed on current and future costs and benefits and sources of savings in relation to the Strategy.
• Leadership: The Department of Health should put in place by the end of 2010 an accreditation scheme for dementia training for healthcare professionals which will allow accredited training to count towards their professional development.
• Delivery: The Department of Health should identify ways to provide greater leverage for improvements in dementia services between now and the next Spending Review. This should include ways to ensure that Primary Care Trusts commission sufficient memory services.

The report also raises the need for basic training for healthcare professionals and recommends a protocol between Acute Trusts, GPs and Ambulance Trusts to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. The report can be foundon the Nation Audit Office website.