Trust secures £180K from Prime Minister's Dementia Challenge Fund

Posted on 14th January, 2014

The Trust has secured £180,000, from the Prime Minister's Dementia Challenge Fund, to create a more modern and therapeutic environment for our Torbay, South and West Devon Memory Assessment Clinic. Building work will commence later this month and it is hoped that the new-look clinic will open at the start of April.

Caroline Nicholson, Administrator with the Torbay Hospital based service, says: "Our team works on a rota basis and comprises OTs, nurses and psychology staff, who share their time between the clinic and Older People’s Community Teams across South West Devon. We offer up to 18 appointment slots a week with service users only having to wait an average of 3-4 weeks for assessment. The feedback from people using the service so far has been great and we have developed a close working relationship with our colleagues in the Radiology Department at the hospital. 

"When the building work is completed, we will have a dementia-friendly environment consisting of consulting rooms and areas for reception and waiting within the shared space of Haytor’s Day Treatment Unit. Our service users can often arrive at the clinic feeling highly anxious and worried about the diagnosis they may receive and we hope the new clinic will provide them with a more welcoming and friendly space in which to have their assessment. As part of the investment, we will also be installing a dedicated kiosk with a touch-screen facility for people to share their valuable feedback.” 

The Trust formally launched its network of Memory Assessment Clinics in December. Based at the county's three acute hospitals, they bring a far more joined-up approach to diagnosing people with a possible dementia. They provide a head CT scan where it is necessary and a comprehensive assessment by a multi-disciplinary team, under one roof and in a single appointment.