UK Government announce ‘Diagnosis Connect’
The UK Government has announced a new service entitled ‘Diagnosis Connect’ to complement existing NHS care.
Diagnosis Connect will refer patients to specialist charities and support organisations as soon as they are diagnosed with a condition. The aim is for people to obtain personalised advice, information and guidance to help them manage their condition better.
The service is due to be launched in 2026 and will initially focus on conditions including diabetes, mental health and lung issues that have been diagnosed in primary care (IE a GP surgery) before being scaled up.
Chris Larkin, Associate Director of Services at Alzheimer’s Society, says:
“There are currently around a million people in the UK living with dementia. A third of those are undiagnosed, leaving them to face the devastating realities of dementia without access to the vital care, support and treatment that a diagnosis can bring.
For those who do manage to access a diagnosis, they tell us that finding the right support can often feel like trying to navigate a maze, with multiple dead ends and wrong turns.
Diagnosis Connect has the potential to hand families a map and steer them in the right direction, towards people who understand dementia, guiding them from diagnosis through to end of life.”
Find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-long-term-conditions-to-receive-help-from-charities