Frustrated leading doctors have hit out a Government drive to diagnose patients with dementia, calling it “pointless” unless the proper help is made available.
Ministers were accused of caring more about “hitting targets” than providing support to those affected.
The drive has doubled the number of diagnoses in the past six years, but has come under criticism before, particularly for paying doctors a bonus each time they make a diagnosis.
Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s general practitioners committee, made the comments at the group’s annual meeting.
He garnered support from the majority of the doctors there, who voted in favour of the motion: “The Government drive for earlier diagnosis of dementia without the corresponding support for those receiving such a diagnosis is pointless and only serves to increase distress for patients and families”.
Dr Vautrey said: “GPs have been really frustrated that politicians appear to have been doing something, by getting GPs to tick boxes, and missing the real point which is what patients are wanting, which is fundamental support.
“We’re really irritated when those services are not only not there, or seem to be disappearing, but are being undermined in many ways by various social services cuts.
“You would never tolerate it in any other area of medicine. Say you were to diagnose someone with cancer you wouldn’t say ‘well sorry we’re not going to treat your cancer’. You would expect within two weeks to see a specialist, getting investigations while dealing with concerns and worries.
“Whereas with dementia it can be months before you see a specialist and many patients and carers are left dealing with this uncertainty for long periods of time. And when they get a diagnosis they are often left without necessary support because social service cuts have had such an impact on the services available.
“The patients themselves have now got this diagnosis but no one is there to provide them with support.”
Latest official figures show about 435,000 people in England have been diagnosed with dementia. This compares to 250,000 in 2009.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, acknowledged there was a need for diagnosis and support to go “hand in hand” but described the motion as a “disappointing step backwards”.
He said: “To deny someone a diagnosis on this basis doesn’t take away the fact they are experiencing debilitating symptoms – just without a name for them.”
Meanwhile, nurses at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) congress in Glasgow, called for improvements in how dementia patients are treated in hospitals.
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