Agenda item

11:30

Contact Officers: Varsha Raja, Assistant Head of Adult Services, (01865) 323618; Suzanne Jones – Senior Service Development Manager, Older People, NHS Oxfordshire, (01865) 334613.

In April this Committee received a progress update in relation to the national dementia strategy and agreed to review further progress in six month’s time. It is now time to review progress.

A report is attached at AS9(a), together with a minute from the Committee’s April question and answer session (AS9(b)).

Ms Varsha Raja (Assistant Head of Adult Services) will attend to present the paper and to answer the Committee’s questions, together with Mr Paul Purnell (Head of Adult Social Care) and the Cabinet Member for Adult Services.

Mr Duncan Saunders (Service Development Manager - Older People’s Mental Health – NHS Oxfordshire) will also attend for this item.

The Committee is invited to receive the update and to conduct a question and answer session.

Working Lunch 12.30 – 12.45

(a)       Implementing the National Dementia Strategy in Oxfordshire - Briefing on Progress to Date as at 28 October 2010

(b)       Dementia Q&A Minute from the Committee's April meeting

Committee considered a progress update in relation to the national dementia strategy AS9(a), together with a minute from the Committee’s April question and answer session (AS9(b)).

Ms Varsha Raja (Assistant Head of Adult Services) attended for this item, together with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services.

Mr Duncan Saunders (Service Development Manager - Older People’s Mental Health – NHS Oxfordshire) was also in attendance.

Ms Raja informed the Scrutiny Committee that dementia continued to be a priority for the national agenda. The Minister had made a key note speech setting out the revised priorities;

·                    Good quality services, early diagnosis and intervention;

·                    Improved quality of care in general hospitals;

·                    Living well with dementia in care homes; and

·                    Prescription of anti-psychotic drugs for dementia.

The approach being taken locally would be reshaped to take account of the revised priorities.

Responding to a question from the Chairman, Ms Raja advised that the revised criteria on continuing health care for people with dementia focussed on those with challenging behaviours and psychological problems. This would mean that older people as they became frailer would see care withdrawn with the result that responsibility fell on the Local authority and families. Asked how information was gained so that funding was withdrawn, such as by re-assessment, Ms Raja stated that their was a key final piece of work as there was a need to understand the local position. It was suggested by Councillor Dr Peter Skolar that  this was another way that the PCT was seeking to reduce its core funding and that he would wish to monitor it very carefully. Ms Raja undertook to provide a briefing note on this matter including an explanation of the way in which re-assessments would take place.. She added that the funding was in a pooled budget but that it was accounted for separately. Further work was needed to understand the local position.

It was AGREED that the Committee return to this matter as part of their meeting in March 2011 and that officers discuss a possible referral to the Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Chairman commented that there was still lack of awareness of telecare and queried what could be done to correct this position? Ms Raja indicated that they had just awarded a contract to expand the service which had been patchy. There would be a co-ordinated service across Oxfordshire.

Asked about the provision of information on dementia serices Ms Raja commented that there was agreat deal of information but that it was a struggle to personalise the information to individual needs.

Responding to a query about the work of Dementia Advisors in doctor’s surgeries Ms Raja advised that they were extremely successful. Initial analysis indicated that with 4 Advisors it would be possible to deliver a County wide service.

In response to a question about the formal diagnosis rate the Committee was advised that currently 34% of people received a formal diagnosis and the target was to increase to 70%.