25 January 2008
Senior MPs have called for dementia to be afforded the same status in the NHS as cancer and coronary heart disease, to improve the poor rates of diagnosis, treatment and care.
According to a Commons Public Accounts Committee report published on January 24, lack of knowledge among GPs means that dementia fails to be formally diagnosed in up to two-thirds of cases. Many sufferers are not diagnosed early enough and end up in hospital or care homes and deprived of specialist care.
PAC chair Edward Leigh warned that the disease must be given a 'single leader' at the Department of Health, with far greater weight and appropriate investment. This was important, as cases are due to rise by 30% over the next 15 years as the average age of the population rises.
Dementia affects more than 560,000 people in England and costs £14bn a year. Leigh said: 'One of the most important ways forward is to raise among health and social care professionals awareness of dementia and the options available for treating and caring for sufferers.'
Leigh also called on health and social services to give urgent attention to carers, who are frequently left with little or no support. As a result, says the report, people with dementia may experience longer lengths of stay in hospital and poorer outcomes than those who are psychiatrically well.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'Dementia is the cancer of the 1950s yet the government is only just beginning to wake up to the reality. We are delighted to be working with them on the first National Dementia Strategy but the scale of the challenge cannot be underestimated.'
PFjan2008
