Record numbers of people are being diagnosed with dementia in
England, NHS figures show.
Latest data shows a record 487,432 people in England in
June had a diagnosis.
While dementia diagnosis rates are the highest since the start of
the pandemic at 65.0%, the NHS has more to do to meet its
ambition to diagnose 66.7% of the total number of people that
estimates suggest are living with a form of the disease.
NHS staff across the country are proactively assessing care
home residents to support identification of people
who may have dementia to boost numbers further for patients and
their families.
England has one of the highest dementia diagnosis rates in the
world, with high-income countries typically in the range of
20-50%.
A timely diagnosis for dementia is vital so more people get the
support and care they need to live with the illness.
England's top dementia doctor today praised the hard work of
staff in their efforts to boost diagnosis but acknowledged there
is still more to do.
The NHS is encouraging people to come forward and get checked if
they have any common early signs or symptoms of dementia.
Dr Jeremy Isaacs, national clinical director for
dementia, NHS England, said: “Getting a
diagnosis of dementia is the first step in supporting
people, with a wide range of NHS services able to
help.
“NHS staff have worked hard to recover services with the number
of people with a diagnosis rising significantly over the last
year, and now at a record level, but there is more
work to be done.
“Thousands more individuals are being diagnosed each month
and more medication reviews are
being done within 12 months.
“Common early symptoms of dementia include forgetting bits of
information, saying the same thing repeatedly, struggling to
follow a conversation or find the right word and being confused
about time and place. Usually, these problems will be more
obvious to the person's family and friends than to the individual
themselves.
“If you have noticed that someone has symptoms, please encourage
them to visit their GP for an assessment – the sooner someone is
seen the quicker the NHS can help.”
The latest figures show 86,434 people with a dementia
diagnosis had their medication reviewed in the preceding 12
months.
The figure for June 2023 was 77,112.
In 2022 NHS England announced 14 new pilot schemes in
which specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals
proactively assess care home residents for dementia.
