Community Practitioner

The memory services are responsible for assessing and diagnosing people with a suspected dementia, and for initiating treatment and support for people with dementia and their carers. The post holder will carry out high-quality initial assessments, including standardisedcognitive testing; formulate diagnoses and care plans in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team; feed back diagnoses to service users and carers; and signpost to appropriate post-diagnostic support. The post involves writing assessment reports, diagnosis letters and other clinical letters to GP. The post involves managing a caseload of patients at varying stages of the diagnostic process, and ensuring timely access to diagnosis and care,in line with the published NHS England ambition to increase the percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia within 18 weeks of GP referral. The post-holder will also support in triaging new referrals to the service. As an assessment and diagnosis service, the memory service does not undertake longer term case management, and as such the role will include liaising with colleagues within primary care, community health and social care services, voluntary organisations and the wider mental health of older adults service as appropriate, to ensure that service users are able to promptly access the care most appropriate to theirneeds. Job description Job responsibilities The memory services are responsible for assessing and diagnosing people with a suspected dementia, and for initiating treatment and support for people with dementia and their carers. The post holder will carry out high-quality initial assessments, including standardisedcognitive testing; formulate diagnoses and care plans in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team; feed back diagnoses to service users and carers; and signpost to appropriate post-diagnostic support. The post involves writing assessment reports, diagnosis letters and other clinical letters to GP. The post involves managing a caseload of patients at varying stages of the diagnostic process, and ensuring timely access to diagnosis and care,in line with the published NHS England ambition to increase the percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia within 18 weeks of GP referral. The post-holder will also support in triaging new referrals to the service. As an assessment and diagnosis service, the memory service does not undertake longer term case management, and as such the role will include liaising with colleagues within primary care, community health and social care services, voluntary organisations and the wider mental health of older adults service as appropriate, to ensure that service users are able to promptly access the care most appropriate to theirneeds.