Hi Again,
One comments that many people keep raising is, why have early diagnosis when the medication is not available.
I did take this up with the Minister this morning at the press conference after the launch of the National Dementia Strategy, and he said that NICE is to reveiew its decision on issuing medication to those in the early stages and this will come out in the Spring of this year. We will just have to wait and hope that they see what they have done and then reverse their original decision, because there are too many people relying on this medication being made available to those in the early stages.
The strategy does not seem to have been changed in any way, since it was originaly written up and sent to the Government in September, and that has to be a very good thing for all.
To many people who worked on this document, like Janice and myself, it is the end on many months of very hard work to ensure that this stratgey works, for the sake of all with the illness along with their carers and families, who deserve a better standard and quality of life.
There is evidence that some PCTs have already set up memory clinics, so we hope that this will be rolled out across the rest of the country.
We have now seen this Strategy finally start today, so lets hope it succeeds for everyone with dementia and their carers.
Best Wishes
Ken