The Brain Health Clinic

You will be invited to an appointment at Dorset HealthCare’s Brain Health Clinic if you have been referred by our Memory Assessment Service (MAS) and may benefit from additional cognitive assessments on annual basis. 

We run the clinic out of the Health Sciences University Clinic building in Parkwood Road, Bournemouth, and everyone who attends the clinic has a chance to take part in research.  

What happens before, during and after your Brain Health Clinic appointment 

One of our research and development team will contact you to confirm the referral and why we would like you to come to the clinic, before arranging your appointment. 

You'll then receive information from us about your visit, cognitive assessments and research at clinic. We'll also ask you to bring a relative or person who knows you well to your appointment. 

Your appointment will last up to 2.5 hours. Please report to reception when you arrive and a member our research team will greet you, explain what will happen and answer any questions you have. 

During the appointment we'll ask you to complete a short set of assessments to help understand your memory and thinking skills. You and the person accompanying you will also have the choice of whether to take part in additional research. If you decide not to take part, your medical care will not be affected. If you decide to take part, you can change your mind at any time. 

We'll summarise the results from the clinical assessments and send them to your GP and our Memory Assessment Service. We'll invite you to additional education sessions when they are available, plus a follow-up appointment for repeat memory tests in a year’s time. 

Your test results will be stored securely in the Brain Health Clinic research computer database and will not include your name or any other information that could identify you. Researchers can apply to access this information for scientific purposes. We will also separately, and securely, store your name, contact details and NHS number so we can access your medical records and contact you about future studies – if you agree to this. 

You can also choose to hear about opportunities to take part in future research studies, with no obligation to take part. Alternatively, you may prefer to nominate a friend or relative to be contacted about future research on your behalf. Your nominated friend or relative must agree to this and sign a separate consent form. 

Information for patient companions 

We'll expect your companion to know about your medical history, to help us confirm suitability for the MRI scan on the day. As part of the clinical assessment, we'll ask your companion to complete an Informant Interview with a member of Brain Health Clinic staff, including questions about changes in your thinking skills, behaviour and general function.  

We'll also offer your companion the chance to take part in research. They can choose to complete research questionnaires about any cognitive and behavioural changes they've seen in you, and about their own experience of being close to someone experiencing memory problems. They can also choose to be contacted about research in future. If you lack capacity to consent to research, we may also ask your companion to act as a consultee to agree to take part in research on your behalf.