BMJ 2015;350:h1588 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1588 (Published 25 March 2015)
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Target for GPs to diagnose two thirds of dementia cases by April 2015 is likely to be missed Gareth Iacobucci BMJ
NHS England is set to fall short of its target for GPs to diagnose dementia in two thirds of patients with the condition by the end of March 2015, official figures have shown. Statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre1 showed that, by the end of February 2015, 377 007 (56%) of the 676 000 people across the country that NHS England estimates have the condition were listed on general practice dementia registers through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. This is some way short of the goal NHS England set last year for GPs to give diagnoses to 67% of patients with dementia by the end of March.
But the figures also showed that dementia diagnosis rates have increased substantially in the four month period since NHS England introduced a controversial scheme that paid GPs £55 (€75; $82) each time they diagnosed the condition in a patient.2 The figure increased from 336 445 at the end of September 2014, before the scheme was introduced, to 377 007 by the end of February 2015. By comparison, the number of people who had dementia diagnosed by the end of April 2014, five months before the scheme was introduced, was 331 824. The scheme, which began on 1 October 2014 and will end on 31 March 2015, aimed to identify more patients with dementia.
But it received criticism from some doctors who branded it “unethical.”3
NHS England has previously indicated4 that it will lower its estimated prevalence of dementia in April 2015 because of rates being affected by general improvements in the population’s health.
Alistair Burns, NHS England’s national clinical director for dementia, said, “More than 60% of the people estimated to have dementia—more than 400 000 people—were on a formal register earlier this year and are accessing the post diagnostic support that comes with it. That proportion is expected to rise further in March and beyond. Awareness of dementia is now at its highest level and this shows the enormous strides we have taken in the last three years.” 1 2 3 4
Health and Social Care Information Centre. Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) recorded dementia diagnoses. February 2015. www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB17115. NHS England. Enhanced service specification: dementia identification scheme. 10 October 2014. www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/dementia-ident-schm-fin.pdf. Kmietowicz Z. Doctors condemn “unethical” £55 payment for every new dementia diagnosis. BMJ 2014;349:g6424. Price C. GP dementia diagnosis rates to increase by five percentage points overnight. Pulse 10 March 2015. http://bit.ly/1bqmxjy.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h1588 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Target for GPs to diagnose two thirds of dementia cases by April 2015 is likely to be missed Gareth Iacobucci BMJ
NHS England is set to fall short of its target for GPs to diagnose dementia in two thirds of patients with the condition by the end of March 2015, official figures have shown. Statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre1 showed that, by the end of February 2015, 377 007 (56%) of the 676 000 people across the country that NHS England estimates have the condition were listed on general practice dementia registers through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. This is some way short of the goal NHS England set last year for GPs to give diagnoses to 67% of patients with dementia by the end of March.
But the figures also showed that dementia diagnosis rates have increased substantially in the four month period since NHS England introduced a controversial scheme that paid GPs £55 (€75; $82) each time they diagnosed the condition in a patient.2 The figure increased from 336 445 at the end of September 2014, before the scheme was introduced, to 377 007 by the end of February 2015. By comparison, the number of people who had dementia diagnosed by the end of April 2014, five months before the scheme was introduced, was 331 824. The scheme, which began on 1 October 2014 and will end on 31 March 2015, aimed to identify more patients with dementia.
But it received criticism from some doctors who branded it “unethical.”3
NHS England has previously indicated4 that it will lower its estimated prevalence of dementia in April 2015 because of rates being affected by general improvements in the population’s health.
Alistair Burns, NHS England’s national clinical director for dementia, said, “More than 60% of the people estimated to have dementia—more than 400 000 people—were on a formal register earlier this year and are accessing the post diagnostic support that comes with it. That proportion is expected to rise further in March and beyond. Awareness of dementia is now at its highest level and this shows the enormous strides we have taken in the last three years.” 1 2 3 4
Health and Social Care Information Centre. Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) recorded dementia diagnoses. February 2015. www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB17115. NHS England. Enhanced service specification: dementia identification scheme. 10 October 2014. www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/dementia-ident-schm-fin.pdf. Kmietowicz Z. Doctors condemn “unethical” £55 payment for every new dementia diagnosis. BMJ 2014;349:g6424. Price C. GP dementia diagnosis rates to increase by five percentage points overnight. Pulse 10 March 2015. http://bit.ly/1bqmxjy.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h1588 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
