AQW 22202/17-22
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast
Tabled Date: 10/09/2021
Answered On Date: 23/09/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on implementation of the Dementia Strategy, including the full implementation of the Mental Capacity Act as it affects people living with dementia and their families.
Answer:
‘Improving Dementia Services in Northern Ireland: A Regional Strategy’ was published in November 2011 and contained 44 recommendations categorised under 7 themes which placed emphasis on the need for awareness raising, prevention, early diagnosis, support to people with dementia and carers, a strengthening of the commissioning process and improved delivery of services. The Delivering Social Change Dementia Signature Project 2014-2018 provided a real opportunity to address the strategy recommendations across four key work strands: Awareness Raising; Information and Support; Staff Training and Development; Delirium and Short-breaks; Information and Support to Carers. The e-Health, Research and Data Analytics Pathfinder Project under Phase 2 of the Delivering Social Change Dementia Signature Project (2018 to present), has led to a number of service developments including a Patient Portal to provide a secure, user friendly, web-based tool for use by people with a dementia and their carers to manage their care record and communicate with their healthcare professionals, the development of Dementia Apps, the completion of twelve academic research projects and nineteen data analytic projects. The Delivering Social Change Dementia Phase I and II projects have also seen significant additional investment in dementia services. Recurrent funding has been made available to secure ten Dementia Navigator posts (two per Trust) and ten Dementia Service Improvement Leads (two per Trust) to take forward the significant agenda of dementia care service improvements that have been identified from the out-workings of the strategy to date. Funding has also been used to support the roll-out across all 5 HSC Trusts of a Dementia Hospital Companions scheme, to enhance the safety and experience for persons with a dementia while they are in hospital. An Action Plan based on the findings and outputs from the Pathfinder project is currently being drafted and will constitute part of the workload for HSCB, PHA, HSC Trusts and others going forward. In 2019, regional dementia leads, integrated care partnerships and the Trusts established multi-agency working groups to consider what arrangements, structures and resources were required to support the roll-out of the regional dementia care pathway. The fourteen recommendations in the regional Dementia Strategy pertaining to the implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway are the only substantial elements of the strategy that are incomplete. The regional dementia lead and commissioning staff at the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) have drawn up a detailed commissioning specification, and investment proposal templates have recently been submitted to support the implementation of a prototype in each area. The expectation is that a pathway will be rolled out across all areas in a three-year time frame, subject to the availability of any funding necessary. Recommendations 39 and 40 of the Strategy refer to the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act and a Code of Practice. The phased implementation of the Mental Capacity Act (NI) 2016 for the purpose of Deprivation of Liberty has provided valuable safeguards and protections for vulnerable individuals in health and care settings, including people living with dementia. I am keen to see the full Act implemented as soon as possible and my officials continue work towards this objective.
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