According to new government plans, family doctors are to be trained to spot the symptoms of dementia and to advise patients with early signs of the condition to visit the memory clinics that will be set up around the country to diagnose the disorder and prescribe therapies that would delay the evolution of the condition.

 

These “memory clinics” will be staffed by specialized doctors, psychiatrists and GPs who know all about dementia and are trained to identify the initial symptoms of dementia. The clinics will offer expert assessment, support, information and advice to those with memory problems and those who take care of them.

 

The measure has to be encouraged as more and more studies show that up to two-thirds of patients with the condition are not diagnosed early enough to get an effective treatment. At the same time, experts say that early diagnosis and intervention improves the quality of life of dementia sufferers.

Currently, there are 575,000 people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related condition in the U.K. According to estimates made by the Department of Health, the number would double in the nest 30 years.

 

“There is so much to do. Only a third of people with dementia get a formal diagnosis, denying them vital support. It is essential the strong leadership from the Department of Health continues so that these plans become a reality,” Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, who strongly supports the decision, was quoted as saying.

Dementia is one of the main causes of disability in older people, ahead of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.