Social Care News

Doctors to push for dramatically improved dementia diagnosis rates

Doctors in England are to push for dramatically improved dementia diagnosis rates which currently mean that more than half of people with the disease do not have a diagnosis.

• Figures show that currently only 350,000 of an estimated 670,000 living with the condition have been diagnosed.
• By 2015 NHS England aims to see two-thirds of people with dementia identified and given access to treatment.

UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "For too long diagnosis rates have been shockingly low, leaving too many people living in the dark trying to cope with this terrible condition undiagnosed, unable to get the help they need and deserve.

"Dementia is a serious and growing problem so this ambitious drive to see a clear majority of people identified and supported is a major step forward."

Jeremy Hughes, the chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, welcomed the government's announcement.

He said: "There is surely no other condition where we would tolerate people living without treatments, without support and in the dark about what is happening to them. This is exactly what is faced by the 54% of people with dementia who never receive a diagnosis.

"This ambition from the NHS to significantly improve diagnosis rates in two years demonstrates real leadership. It is a key step in improving the lives of people with dementia."

Get more information

• Read the Alzheimer's Society's views on this story
• Read the Guardian's story
• Find out about Prime Minister David Cameron's Dementia Challenge