14 / 06 / 2016
In Harrogate, people with dementia traditionally had three routine reviews a year: two at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust memory clinic, and one at their GP practice. This limited the number of appointments available at the memory clinic, and meant those who really needed specialist care had to wait longer for it.
Harrogate and Rural District Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust worked with local GP practices to improve the system for routine reviews. Since 2014, such reviews have been shared between the trust and GPs. Those with dementia are now seen alternately by their GP and the memory clinic at six monthly intervals.