30 May 2008
Time is running out for the government to prepare for a huge increase in the number of people suffering from dementia, health experts are warning.
As the King's Fund published its year-long study on future mental health needs, the NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network called for faster progress on dementia policy and 'very significant' levels of funding.
Network director Steve Shrubb told Public Finance: 'We're going to see a really big increase in the number of people that suffer from dementia, but if we add in carers then we've got a really large number of people who are going to be suffering and the financial hit is significant.
'We've got less time than many people thought before the real impact of this starts to hit home, and I'm just talking about the direct costs. [The King's Fund report] goes on to talk about the indirect costs.'
Shrubb added that the issue needed to be linked to the debate on the funding of social care.
The King's Fund study, published on May 28, predicted a 61% increase in dementia cases, from 580,000 to 940,000 over the next two decades. This rise is also likely to fuel an above-inflation increase in the care bill over the next two decades, from £22.5bn to £47bn.
King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson said: 'Unless there is a major breakthrough in drugs to arrest the course of this illness, there will be a great need for extra care and support, some of it quite intense. The projections in this report should help policymakers and those responsible for local services plan for future demand.'
The government is due to publish its national dementia strategy later this year. A Department of Health spokesman said: 'We recognise that dementia is now one of the most significant health challenges facing our society. That is why we are determined to bring dementia out of the shadows.'
The report also reveals that £26.1bn was lost to the economy because of the thousands of people unable to work due to their mental illness. But it suggests that significant savings could be achieved by expanding crisis services and early intervention for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, thus reducing the need for costly inpatient treatment.
And more should be done to encourage more people with depression and anxiety disorders back into the workforce.
Read the King's Fund report here
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