Insights
13 May 2014
Enhanced Services for dementia 2014/15: the key facts
The NHS has announced new enhanced services for the timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia. This enhanced service is designed to reward GP practices for undertaking a proactive approach to the timely assessment of patients who may be at risk of dementia.
The NHS has announced new enhanced services for the timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia. This enhanced service is designed to reward GP practices for undertaking a proactive approach to the timely assessment of patients who may be at risk of dementia.
The aims of this enhanced service in 2014/15 are to encourage GP practices to:
- identify patients at clinical risk of dementia
- offer an assessment to detect for possible signs of dementia in those at risk
- offer a referral for diagnosis where dementia is suspected and, in the case of a diagnosis, provide advanced care planning in line with the patient’s wishes
- increase the health and wellbeing support offered to carers of patients diagnosed with dementia
Improving the diagnosis and care of patients with dementia has been prioritised by the Department of Health through its mandate to NHS England and by NHS England through its planning guidance for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
Rewarding GP practices’ commitment to assessing dementia
Practices wishing to participate will be required to sign up by no later than 30 June 2014 to qualify for the component 1 payment.
The practice undertakes to make an opportunistic offer of assessment for dementia to ‘at-risk’ patients on the practice’s registered list, where the attending practitioner considers it clinically appropriate to make such an offer.
Payment available to participating GP practices under this enhanced service in 2014/15 will be made in two components, with each allocated approximately half of the total funding available under this enhanced service:
Component 1 – This will be an upfront payment of £0.37 per registered patient, which represents a payment of £2622.19 to an average-sized GP practice. This is paid in recognition of upfront costs in preparing for participation in this enhanced service and the GP practice’s commitment to support assessment for dementia in at-risk patients.
Component 2 – The remaining funding will be distributed as an end of year payment based on the number of completed assessments carried out by the GP practice during the financial year.
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