One in 3 miss out on dementia help
More than a third of people who are suspected of having dementia in Sunderland do not have a formal diagnosis, new figures show.
The figures – which come during Dementia Action Week, which began on Tuesday – has sparked calls from support charities to improve diagnostic rates and invest in support for people living with the condition.
NHS figures show 3,522 people aged 65 and over in the city are estimated to have had dementia in March – but only 2,221 (63.1%) had a formal diagnosis.
Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK, said dementia is a growing issue in society, largely due to an ageing population – with finance cuts and a lack of focus on community services to support families leading to "thousands being stuck in limbo and highly stressed" as they are unable to get a diagnosis.
He added: "In this climate, we urgently need to bridge the gap between health and social care systems, so that people receive a timely diagnosis and can access the support they need.
"No one should have to face dementia alone."
Across England, an estimated 687,000 people have dementia. Of them ,433,000 patients (63%) had a recorded diagnosis.
Mark MacDonald, Alzheimer’ s Society associate director for advocacy, said dementia diagnosis rates hit a five-year low during the pandemic and have stagnated since.
He said: "This means that tens of thousands of people are facing the realities of dementiaalone, without access to the vital care and support that a diagnosis can bring. Timely diagnosis is crucial to manage symptoms."
He called on the Government to commit to restore diagnostic rates top re-pandemic levels of 66.7% and a £70 min vestment in diagnosis services.
He added: “Getting a diagnosis can be daunting, but we believe it’s better to know and encourage those who are concerned that they or a someone close to them may be experiencing signs of dementia to check on our Royal College of GPs-accredited symptom checker."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Timely diagnosis of dementia is vital, and the NHS is committed to bringing the dementia diagnosis rate back to pre-pandemic levels."
The Alzheimer’s Society symptoms check is available at www.alzheimers.org.uk/