§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to improve awareness among general practitioners of HIV-associated dementia; [11743]
(2) if he will list all specialist services for HIV-associated dementia; [11741]
(3) what research he has commissioned into HIV-associated dementia; [11745]
(4) how many cases of HIV-associated dementia have been identified in each year since 1990; [11744]
(5) what action he is taking to improve the co-ordination of care for people with HIV-associated dementia. [11742]
§ Mr. HoramThe Department of Health commissioned a study in 1991, covering the period 1991–1994, into the epidemiology of HIV-associated dementia in the Thames regional health authorities. This has concluded that previous studies had over-estimated the size of the problem and suggests a lower prevalence of HIV-associated dementia in people with AIDS of under 10 per cent. The report will be published shortly and copies will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Information is not available nationally on the number of cases of HIV-associated dementia or on specialist services for people with HIV dementia.
The Department has issued a comprehensive training pack for general practitioners which covers the whole spectrum of HIV disease, including HIV dementia. Guidance to health authorities on HIV/AIDS has stressed the need for shared care arrangements between specialist AIDS facilities and general practitioners. The Department has also issued guidance to both health and local 529W authorities on the need to carry out population needs assessments in their localities to establish local priorities for service commissioning.