Family and friends can play a key role in spotting signs of dementia when visiting older people this Christmas according to one of the country’s top experts. This year, Professor Alistair Burns, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older Peoples’ Mental Health, has written a Christmas list of a different kind – symptoms […]

Three leading models of how to care for people with dementia are being flagged up to the NHS in a bid to improve patient services by sharing learning. Thousands of people are benefiting from the thriving schemes at Gnosall, Northumberland, and Rotherham and Doncaster and are highlighted in a new report out today. Patient benefits include: […]

As part of Change Day, NHS England is supporting “John’s Campaign” which supports people with dementia. The campaign calls for family and carers of people with dementia to be allowed to remain with them in hospital for as many hours of the day and night as necessary. Campaigners point to the difference between the treatment […]

A new vision for dementia, announcement by the Prime Minister, has been welcomed by NHS England’s Clinical Director for Dementia Professor Alistair Burns. On Saturday, David Cameron announced the next phase of the government’s “challenge on dementia” programme. He pledged £300m of investment into dementia research over the next parliament, a new global fund on […]

A TV presenter whose dad died from dementia has urged people with symptoms to heed the advice of medics and come forward as early as possible. Journalist Sarah Travers (40), who has worked for a variety of media outlets including ITV and the BBC, was devastated when her dad Ian died of the disease in […]

Scientists are on target to develop a cure for dementia within the next 10 years, Alistair Burns, NHS England’s national clinical director for dementia has said. He says he is confident there will be a cure for dementia, or at least a drug that will significantly slow down its progression, by 2025. Professor Burns, 56, who […]

NHS England’s Regional Medical Director for the South, has today called for improved diagnosis and support to combat what he calls “the isolation of dementia”. Writing in a blog Nigel, who is also a Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist, says that in 2015 “we will continue to see an increased number of people with dementia being assessed […]

An NHS ambassador aiming to help increase the diagnosis rate of people with dementia and provide the post diagnostic support is to meet 21 CCGs to help explore challenges to diagnosis. By the end of January Dr Dan Harwood, Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and a Dementia Ambassador for the London area for NHS […]

NHS England’s top dementia doctor says cutting back on alcohol to protect your mental health is a good 2015 resolution. Prevention is something everyone can help with as the NHS tackles the growing issue of dementia, says Professor Alistair Burns, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Dementia. He said a number of research studies* showed […]

Dementia is a clinical syndrome and at one level simply implies brain failure (analogous to heart failure or liver failure). The diagnosis is a two stage process. First, to make a diagnosis of dementia you need to differentiate it from: depression; delirium; the effect of drugs and; the changes in memory expected as part of […]