HTA CET board member named Dementia Tsar

News release from NETSCC, HTA

10 February 2010

Eminent HTA researcher Professor Alistair Burns has been appointed as the new National Clinical Director for Dementia, the Department of Health has announced.

As National Clinical Director Professor Burns will promote better care of people with dementia within the NHS and social care communities and provide leadership for the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy.

He is currently Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Manchester and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and a Trusts Consultant for the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. He also gives his time and expertise to the HTA programme as a member of the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials board.

Professor Burns developed the South Manchester Memory Clinic, which provides specialist assessment and diagnosis for people with memory problems. He is also an instrumental part of the Old Age Psychiatry General Hospital liaison service and helped establish a Dementia Drug Treatment clinic. Alongside this he is involved in an HTA-funded trial assessing antidepressants for depression in dementia (project ref 04/11/02).

Professor Burns will work closely with the new National Clinical Director for Older People, Professor David Oliver, to ensure strong leadership in shaping the future of services for an ageing population.

Fore more details on the role of National Clinical Directors visit the Department of Health website.

Notes for editors

 1. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme commissions research about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest NIHR programme and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with over 530 issues published to date. The journal’s 2009 Impact Factor (4.197) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk

2. The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk

Contact details

Naomi Williams, Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 646, Email: N.E.Williams@southampton.ac.uk

Emma Sunderland, Assistant Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 599 094, Email: E.Sunderland@southampton.ac.uk

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