Wensum Valley Medical Practice

We are a NHS General Practice surgery based on 3 sites covering the West side of Norwich.

Updated:
28 October 2018
Location:
East of England
Sectors:
Health
Local Alliances:
Norwich City Dementia Action Alliance

1. Action Plan

1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?

We want to develop our surgery into a dementia friendly surgery and then help spread good practice amongst other GP surgeries. Becoming a member of the DAA will help us to do both of these. It will allow us to share ideas with other members of the DAA to improve our service and our care to patients with dementia and their carers. It will also allow us to advertise to our patients and other organizations that we are committed to becoming dementia friendly.  

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

Time constraints can be difficult as well as financial barriers due to increasing pressures on NHS resources. By sharing ideas with others we hope this can lead to solutions which are financially viable.  By having a dementia champion who can spread good practice by shared learning this can be time efficient as well.

2. Actions

  • Dementia awareness sessions

    We are exploring having the dementia support workers holding dementia awareness and information sessions at our surgery.

    Status:
    Investigating

  • Identifying a dementia champion in our practice

    We will identify a dementia champion at the practice who can help raise awareness amongst staff through training, practice meetings and email correspondence. The champion will lead the project and identify further actions to develop us as a dementia friendly practice.

    Status:
    Completed

    2018 - First Quarter Update

    We have identified our dementia champion who is now leading our actions . Information is being shared thorugh emails to staff

  • Raising dementia awareness amongst our staff

    We will offer the Dementia Friends Programme and provide dementia awareness training for staff. We will then share learning with staff who are unable to attend.

    Status:
    Being implemented

    2018 - Third Quarter Update

    Marie Lucas from Norwich Age Uk delivered the dementia awareness sessions to staff at the practice over the summer months.

  • Dementia friendly environment

    To explore the environment at the practice to ensure that it becomes friendlier and more accesible  for patients with dementia. This can be done through signage and by walking through the centres with patients and carers to identify areas of difficulty or processes which may be a barrier to them assesing care.  We will also look at how we communicate with patients and their carers to ensure that letters are dementia friendly and reminders are sent to patients and carers about appointments.  

    Status:
    Implementation

    2018 - Third Quarter Update

    Norwich CCG dementia support workers have visted our 3 practice sites for a walk round looking at ways of helping us develop dementia friendly environments.They completed the Kings fund "is you practice dementia friendly" assesmnet tool. We have now put up demnetia friendly signage in the 3 centres. They have also provided us with some leaflet packs for the 3 sites. We have also flagged up reminders on the computer system that a patient has demntia when appoitmnets are booked to allow longer appoitmnets to be booked if needed.

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