ABSTRACT
On 16 June 2011, The Royal College of General Practitioners launched a new educational programme, developed in partnership with the Department of Health, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and with support from The Children's Society, to help general practitioners (GP) and primary care team’s better support the growing number of people who care for others. The balance of provision of care for people with dementia is for home-based services, so the GP must remain in close contact with the family, the memory service, the community mental health team and any others involved. Depression in patients with dementia may have a psychological or organic cause. The primary healthcare team, in particular the practice nurses, can advise patients and carers on the most appropriate actions around primary and secondary prevention or, more positively, around promoting optimal health. Information to empower patients is one of the key planks of the White Paper, Equality and Excellence.
