The Memory Clinic is based at the Belfast City Hospital (BCH), which is a major teaching hospital in Northern Ireland. The clinic provides a regional service devoted to the prompt diagnosis and treatment of persons with cognitive impairment.

The clinic is led by two consultants in elderly care who hold Senior Lectureships at the Queen's University of Belfast. The clinic has full access to the multidisciplinary team and has strong links to psychiatry and neurology colleagues as well as patient support groups such as the Alzheimer's Society. Imaging, in the form of CT/MRI/SPECT scanning is also readily accessed. The clinic provides a platform for research and clinical trial activity through links with the Division of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Queen's University of Belfast (QUB). The division has a background in dementia and stroke research with recent projects examining the genetic factors responsible for Alzheimer's disease, cognitive change after stroke and memory rehabilitation for persons with dementia.

BCH will aim to assist in the development and testing of the proposed technology through the identification of target groups and detailed assessment of user needs and requirements. Patient and carer involvement will follow the normal processes of ethical approval and recruitment. BCH intend to be intimately involved in the assessment and trialing of prototype models in conjunction with other European partners.

Key Personnel:

• Dr David Craig;
• Dr Peter Passmore;