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GP referral

City & Hackney Dementia Service

The City & Hackney Dementia Service (CHDS) has replaced the Diagnostic Memory Clinic. It is a new model of dementia care which provides a diagnostic service that holds patients from diagnosis to end of life, or out of borough placement. It ensures everyone living with dementia has a timely diagnosis, with greater access to ongoing help, advice and support for them, their carers and families.

The service is delivered by East London NHS FT (ELFT), having previously been jointly provided with the Alzheimer's Society. As of June 1 2023, the Alzheimer's Society's Hackney Dementia Navigation Service has been welcomed into the City & Hackney Dementia Service. 

Address

Felstead Street Clinic
30 Felstead Street
Hackney Wick, London
E9 5LG
United Kingdom

Opening hours
09:00 - 17:00
Monday - Friday
Email address
elft.ch-dementia-service@nhs.net
Telephone number
0203 222 8500

Service Information

The service is consultant-led and delivered by a team of multi-disciplinary staff to include community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, dementia navigators, and team administrators.

The CHDS operates a Single Point of Entry for ALL referrals which are triaged by a duty system. It is open from 9:00-17:00, Monday to Friday. All out-of-hours (OOH) referrals are picked up the next working day.

Referrals accepted for service users who are 18+ years old and registered with a GP in City and Hackney. GPs can now refer via e-referral. 

Referrals for service users with suspected dementia will only be accepted from GPs, community matrons, Homerton University Hospital if in hospital or specialist clinics such as Parkinson Clinic.

Referrals for service users who already have a diagnosis of dementia can be from anyone including self-referrals. 

Referrals for service users diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) will be accepted from the GP.

The dementia service will also automatically recall all MCI patients for follow up and reassessment.

The service user will be contacted within 6 weeks of receipt of the referral.

Organic neurodegenerative disorders, for example, suspected dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Please exclude mood disorder or significant ongoing drug or alcohol misuse. 

Please contact the service to discuss if clarification is required.

The City & Hackney Dementia Service: 

  • Provides timely assessment and diagnosis in addition to post-diagnostic support and treatment;
  • Holds everyone diagnosed with dementia from the point of diagnosis to death, or out-of-borough placement;
  • Ensures, everyone with a diagnosis of dementia has a named professional to support them and their family/carer throughout disease progression or as  things change;
  • It also makes provision for those diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to be tracked, supported, and provided with timely intervention as things change;
  • Works with all key stakeholders such as Adult Social Care, GPs, Homerton University Hospital, London Ambulance Services, ParaDoc, and the Police  to provide well-coordinated person-centered care for people living with dementia, their carers and family members

The service does not provide care management. This is provided by Adult Social Care.

The service does not provide carers assessment but will support carers to access appropriate support and assessment from Carers First or Adult Social Care 

The City & Hackney Dementia Service is a consultant-led assessment service made up of a Consultant Psychiatrist, Psycho-geriatrician, Clinical Psychologists, Community Psychiatric Nurses, an Occupational Therapist, Dementia Navigators, and Team Administrators.

The team is available Monday to Friday, 9:00 - 17:00.

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