Report says up to two in five with dementia are undiagnosed

According to a new report by The Dementia Commission, almost two in five with the condition do not know they have it – 36 per cent remain undiagnosed, but in the worst-affected authorities, rates are as high as 50 per cent, and the report’s authors are calling for improved ways to tackle these “alarming” rates.

The government have said that NHS England are developing a toolkit for GPs to help them to diagnose the condition and former health minister Lord James O’Shaugnessy warned the report’s findings were a “critical juncture for our healthcare system”, adding “The unrelenting rise in undiagnosed cases demands a paradigm shift in our approach to dementia care.”

According to estimates for 2023 from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, a quarter of the worst-affected local authorities are witnessing undiagnosed rates as high as 50 per cent.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care, said “We’re working to identify and treat more people living with dementia and provide potential new treatments as they become available.

“NHSE is producing a toolkit for GPs which will help them identify people with dementia using patient records, and is carrying out a project to improve dementia diagnosis in care homes.

“Alongside this, we are doubling the funding for dementia research to £160 million a year by 2024/25.  Our Major Conditions Strategy includes a focus on dementia and will consider prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and long-term care to support people to stay in good health for longer.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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