Summary
Alistair Burns (National Clinical Director for Dementia at NHS England) has written an account of developments regarding the national dementia CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation), which is now in its fourth year.
The emphasis on dementia case finding has morphed to include support for clinical leadership, the recognition of delirium (sometimes mistaken for dementia, and sometimes super-imposed on dementia) and the information provision for carers of people with dementia.
The CQUIN guidance for 2015/16 has been extended to community service providers. The importance given to care planning reflects the CQC’s “Cracks in the Pathway” report which highlighted lack of coordination / integration when people with dementia move from hospitals into the social care system.
Hospital discharge planning is to be shared with patients’ GPs, ensuring better dementia / delirium training for staff locally and better support for carers of people with dementia and delirium.
The Directed Enhanced Service (DES) for dementia in primary care is now into its third year. The new DES has a broader provision for people over 60 with cardiovascular disease, long-term neurological conditions and people over 50 with learning disabilities. It now covers “people over 60 with risk factors for vascular disease, Down’s syndrome in people over 40, and people over 60 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”.
Reference
Burns, A. (2015). Improving dementia care: CQUINS and Enhanced Services – Professor Alistair Burns. London: NHS England, May 18th 2015.
This relates to:
Reference
Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN): guidance for 2015/16. Leeds: NHS England, March 17th 2015.
See also:
Reference
Enhanced Service Specification: facilitating timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia 2015/16. Leeds: NHS England, March 5th 2015.
Background context and a summary of an earlier consultation:
Reference
Thacker, S. [and] Burns, A. (2015). Changing attitudes, improving outcomes: appraising the dementia CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation). September 17th 2014, Kingsway Hospital, Derby. London: NHS England, May 18th 2015.
