Why I’m resigning from the panel that scrutinises work capability assessments
The DWP won’t act on growing concern about the effect of the reassessment process on people with mental health problems
For the last couple of years, welfare reform has consistently been an important issue for people with mental health problems. And one aspect in particular has dominated: the work capability assessment (WCA). It’s worth remembering that the WCA was initially conceived before the recession, when this country was estimated to be within a year of achieving full employment. Even in those early days, we at Mind urged caution as we had real concerns about how a new system would be applied.
Doctors ‘too slow’ diagnosing dementia
Doctors in parts of the country are not diagnosing dementia early enough and must be better trained in order to improve treatment, the head of Britain’s largest biomedical research charity has said.
By Nick Collins, Science Correspondent
7:09AM BST 02 Apr 2012
Sir Mark Walport said the “unacceptable” variation in diagnosis rates in different regions was one of the first problems that the government must tackle in its new drive to improve dementia care.
Doctors’ effectiveness at spotting dementia varies dramatically across the country, with just 37 per cent of sufferers in the south west receiving a diagnosis compared with 46 per cent in the north east and almost 70 per cent in parts of Northern Ireland, according to Alzheimer’s Society figures based on NHS data.
