For San Francisco readers keeping up-to-date on world news, we are pleased to present this story from The BBC.

All NHS family doctors are to be trained to spot the early symptoms of dementia, under government plans.

Ministers also want to set up “memory clinics” to help the growing number of patients live as normally as possible.

About 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, a total that is expected to double or triple.

The Department of Health says it will ensure appropriate training is provided to health professionals and create more chances for them to specialise.

National strategy

A spokeswoman said: “We want to make sure that every GP is trained to spot the first signs of dementia, and to refer patients on to specialists.

“The Department of Health will work with all relevant medical and nursing organisations – including the Royal College of GPs, Skills for Care and the NHS – to make sure that appropriate training is provided for medical students.

“We will create opportunities for post-graduate education and training in dementia.”

Care Services Minister Phil Hope told the Daily Mail a national dementia strategy, to be launched next month, could save nearly £1bn, while providing better care.

He said: “As well as national training for GPs, we’d like to see memory clinics in every town, where people can go for treatment and support to help them live their life as normally as possible.”

These services could be provided by a range of professionals, from geriatricians and psychiatrists to local GPs with a specialist interest, and could involve the voluntary sector, he added.

According to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust 163,000 new cases of dementia occur in England and Wales each year – amounting to one every 3.2 minutes.

It says that unless treatments are found the number of people with cognitive impairment who will be placed in institutions will rise by more than 63% from 224,000 in 1998 to 365,000 in 2031.

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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

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