May 2013

The RCGP has warned that GPs need extra funding to hit the Government's dementia diagnosis targets and patients must not have early diagnoses ‘forced’ upon them.

In an article for the Pulse website RCGP Chair Professor Clare Gerada said some patients will find it distressing to receive an early diagnosis and should not be cajoled into having assessments.

Her comments followed Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s call to increase ‘shockingly low’ dementia diagnosis rates in England from 45% to 66% by 2015.

The RCGP has backed the Government’s subsequent drive - announced earlier this week - to boost dementia diagnosis rates by 50% and Professor Gerada said: "GPs are committed to improving the care we provide to patients with dementia - and we acknowledge that earlier and more accurate diagnosis can enable people with dementia and their families to make more informed choices and decisions about their future care, whilst they still have the capacity to do so."

GPs have been offered a controversial DES - for dementia case-finding - that will involve practices opportunistically offering an assessment for dementia to ‘at-risk’ patients during routine consultations.

For further details please read the RCGP backs drive to boost dementia rates by 50% news article on the Pulse website.

Dementia is currently an increasingly important issue in Wales as well and there are currently just over 42,700 people living with the condition across the country.

This has recently led to the creation of the National Dementia Vision for Wales which provides a long-term vision to ensure  Wales can best meet the challenge of this increasing number of people living with dementia within our borders.

If you have any questions about WaMH in PC's work with dementia in Wales please contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week with this year's campaign themed around physical activity and well-being.

For one week each May, the Mental Health Foundation campaigns around a specific theme for Mental Health Awareness Week.

This year's campaign runs until this Sunday (19 May) and will be highlighting the impact exercise has on mental health and wellbeing.

Exercise can do a lot to enhance our happiness and quality of life and as a result reduce mental illness and there are a host of events planned for the coming week which support this idea.

Since the first Mental Health Awareness Week in 2000 the campaign has helped explain to the public how things like loneliness, anger, fear, alcohol and friendship can influence our mental health.

For further information about this year's campaign please visit the Mental Health Awareness Week page on the Mental Health Foundation website.

The Welsh Assembley and various national charities are launching a groundbreaking mental health campaign allowing people to literally air their views about mental health across Wales.

Over the summer the Lights! Camera! ACTION! campaign will give mental health service users and carers the opportunity to record messages and share their experiences of mental health services on film.

As part of the campaign, people will be produce their own video blogs pointing local services and national policy makers to good practice in mental health service delivery and flag up local deficits in delivery.

Service users and carers will talk to camera about what changes they want to see in services with the help of the campaign which is due to set up a mobile studio at 22 locations across Wales over the coming months.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford AM will launch the service user and carer-led national campaign at the Pierhead Building today (9 May) with the campaign set to conclude with a red-carpet event at the Senedd on World Mental Health Day in October.

Lights! Camera! ACTION! is supported by mental health charities Bipolar UK, Hafal and the Mental Health Foundation with further information available on the Lights! Camera! ACTION! Campaign page on the Hafal website.