15.01.13
Dementia diagnosis varies by 44%
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has attacked the “grim fatalism” of some NHS staff who don’t bother trying to diagnose Alzheimer’s on the assumption it is pointless because there is no cure.
His comments came on the back of new figures showing that there is huge variation across the UK in the numbers of people receiving formal diagnoses of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society found that rates of diagnosis ranged from 31.5% in the East Riding of Yorkshire to 75.5% in Belfast.
There are thought to be 428,000 people living in the UK with undiagnosed dementia. In 2012, it is estimated that 46% of people with dementia had a formal diagnosis, up from 43.3% in 2011.
The Alzheimer’s Society has produced an interactive map highlighting the different rates of diagnosis across different trusts. A survey of memory clinics also found that only 11% are accredited, and the average waiting time for an appointment was 32.5 working days; over the 4-6 weeks recommended wait.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s disgraceful that more than half of all people with dementia are not receiving a diagnosis, and disappointing to see such a disparity in diagnosis rates in different regions of the UK. This goes against best clinical practice and is preventing people with dementia from accessing the support, benefits and the medical treatments that can help them live well with the condition.”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt called the variation “unacceptable” and said: “It’s time for the worst performing areas to wake up to the dementia time bomb. While many areas do excellent work, the worst is diagnosing just a third of people with dementia – delaying vital treatment and causing unnecessary suffering.”
Doctors must do more to spot the early symptoms of the condition and to see dementia as ‘core business’, he added.
Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “Too many health and care professionals are not aware of the symptoms. Some even believe that without effective cure there’s no point putting people through the anxiety of a memory test – even though drugs can help stave off the condition for several years. It is this grim fatalism that we need to shake off. Not just within our health service but across society as a whole.”
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive & general secretary of the RCN said the figures should be a “wake-up call for everyone in healthcare” and added: “It is totally unacceptable that people with dementia are subject to this postcode lottery when it comes to early diagnosis.
“Equally concerning is the growing waiting times which are above the recommended level. These failings are more than missed targets – they have a real impact on families who are already going through an extremely traumatic time.”
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(Map screengrab taken from http://alzheimers.org.uk/dementiamap copyright Alzheimer’s Society)