FAMILIES of people living with dementia attended a focus group meeting at the Riverside Centre last week to discuss the future direction of care services in North Wiltshire after a new report claimed people were not getting consistent care from GPs.
The report, published by Healthwatch Wiltshire, interviewed 195 people including those diagnosed with dementia, their families, volunteers and professionals in the industry to find out about their experiences of being diagnosed.
The results were mixed with some respondents saying their GPs were dismissive about their memory concerns while others offered memory tests, listened and gave a clear diagnosis.
Lucie Woodruff, Healthwatch Wiltshire manager, said: “With an estimated 6,624 people living with dementia in Wiltshire, we have made it a top priority to talk to people in the county about their experiences of dementia care and support.
"We gather views both good and bad from members of the public and then pass these on to the decisionmaking bodies who plan, pay for and run these services.”
The report’s findings have been presented to the Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board, the Dementia Delivery Board and to each GP practice in the county.
If you have any comments to make about your experiences with dementia care in Wiltshire, email tom.nellist@newsquest.co.uk
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