
Clinical Lead: Harsha Wijeratne
Email: harsha.wijeratne@nelft.nhs.uk
Tel: 020 8708 2386
(Please ensure patient identifiable information is password protected)
Referrals are accepted by email. All new referrals need to be made via the GP to exclude/treat physical causes for presenting problems.
Email: redbridge.memoryservice@nelft.nhs.uk
Criteria: Any person aged 18 or over with dementia or suspected of having dementia Resident in Redbridge.
Exclusions: None but patients will be triaged for suitability.
Test results required at referral: If suspected dementia, please complete dementia blood screening and midstream urine (MSU).
Patients need to know that they are being referred for an assessment of their memory/cognitive functioning, which involves finding out about their current difficulties and how these affect them in everyday life.
They need to be aware that while there are lots of causes of memory problems (including depression or anxiety, side effects of medication, physical health causes), the assessment might find that they have a type of dementia.
If they do get a diagnosis of dementia, we will work with them to develop a plan to support them to live well with their illness.
Whilst other people, including you as their GP, might think it is important for them to be assessed, your patient needs to agree to the referral being made, unless s/he lacks capacity to consent, in which case an assessment must be judged in the patient’s best interest.
There are four components to the standard assessment process:
The benefits of referring to the Memory Assessment Service:
Please remember it is always worthwhile referring your patient. Psychological interventions, medications and social support for both the patient and their family can ensure the person with dementia lives well with their illness.
The time from referral to diagnosis should not usually exceed 15 weeks, but it is dependent upon the complexity of the patient and timescales for structural imaging which is undertaken by BHRUT.
In rarer complex presentations, the patient may require more specialist tomography and/or other expert tests, which the Memory Assessment Service will arrange with another provider. In these circumstances, it is not possible to indicate the timescales from referral to diagnosis, but the patient/family will be kept informed.
Patients are expected to make their own way to the Memory Assessment Service or the GP should arrange transport for them. In exceptional circumstances where the person is housebound, the Memory Service will offer a domiciliary visit.