Dementia pilot cuts waiting times by 20 weeks in north Birmingham

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 11:59 · Archive

A dementia pilot project in north Birmingham has reduced waiting times for assessment and treatment by 20 weeks for people aged over 80.

A dementia pilot project in north Birmingham has significantly reduced waiting times for people aged over 80. Memory Matters has cut the average time from assessment to treatment by 20 weeks, bringing it down from 31 weeks to 11 weeks.

Over the last six months, 109 dementia assessments have been delivered through 17 participating GP practices in the area. The time from assessment to treatment has also fallen by 52 per cent, from an average of 15 weeks to seven weeks.

The current average waiting time for dementia assessments across Birmingham and Solihull is 26 weeks, followed by a further nine weeks for treatment where appropriate. Memory Matters aims to ensure people aged 80 and over receive an assessment and, where appropriate, a diagnosis within 12 weeks.

The service is led by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Alzheimer's Society and Age Connects West Midlands. Community mental health nurses work alongside primary care teams, providing specialist expertise and helping people access support closer to home.

The project is funded by £500,000 from the Fairer Futures Fund. It is currently set to run until 2028, though NHS officials have indicated they would welcome extending it beyond that date. Across Birmingham and Solihull, an estimated 13,000 people currently live with dementia, a figure expected to rise to more than 17,000 by 2040.

How it is being reported

• Birmingham NHS bosses would ‘love’ to see pilot dementia project extended beyond 2028Memory Matters is being run for over 80s in north Birmingham until 2028.Birmingham World · 16 Oct, 11:24
• Birmingham NHS bosses would ‘love’ to see pilot dementia project extended beyond 2028Memory Matters is being run for over 80s in north Birmingham until 2028.Express & Star · 16 Oct, 11:24
• 'Brilliant' dementia pilot project helping to cut waiting times in north BirminghamThe pilot is being run for over 80s in north Birmingham for the next two yearsBirminghamLive · 16 Oct, 05:30

In this story: Memory Matters · Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust · Alzheimer's Society · Age Connects West Midlands · North Birmingham · Birmingham and Solihull

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem