Labor ministers are being urged to take action on dementia as devastating figures show dementia is still the biggest killer in Britain

Dementia deaths are rising ‘year on year’ in a crisis ministers should not ignore, experts say.

New analysis has found that the disease was the leading cause of death in Britain by 2023, killing more than 75,000 people.

Alzheimer’s Research UK warned that the situation will ‘only get worse’ unless the government acts in such a way that the situation ‘does not remain a death sentence’.

According to the charity, the next 10-year plan should ensure dementia services can cope with both growing demand and the arrival of new treatments.

It follows a major blow to patients and their families after two breakthrough drugs for Alzheimer’s disease – Lecanemab and Donanemab – were deemed too expensive for NHS patients.

The charity said more needs to be done to ensure the NHS is ready to scale up pilots of blood tests, saliva tests and eye scans – all of which are on the horizon.

Chief executive Hilary Evans-Newton said: ‘By 2040, more than 1.4 million people in Britain are expected to be living with dementia, with heartbreaking consequences for countless families and increasing pressure on public services and the economy.

Hilary Evans-Newton, CEO of Alzheimer’s Research UK (pictured) said: ‘By 2040, more than 1.4 million people in Britain are expected to be living with dementia, with heartbreaking consequences for countless families and increasing pressure on public health services. services and healthcare. economy’

‘Dementia already accounts for a quarter of hospital beds for the over 65s, and the cost of dementia to the NHS has doubled over the past decade, mainly due to often avoidable emergency admissions.’

The scale of the damage dementia causes to people and wider society cannot be ignored by the government.”

About 75,393 people died from dementia in 2023, compared to 74,261 in the previous twelve months and 69,178 in 2021.

This amounts to approximately one in ten deaths in total, ahead of other major causes of death such as heart disease, thrombosis, embolism and any individual cancers.

Dementia has been the leading cause of death in women since 2011; last year, more than 48,000 people died from the condition, compared to 27,000 men.

The analysis also found that of the four countries, Northern Ireland had the highest mortality rate from dementia at 11.7 percent, followed by England (11.6 percent), Wales (10.6 percent) and Scotland (10.2 percent) .

Ms Evans-Newton said the long-term plan was a “critical opportunity” to future-proof NHS dementia services.

New analysis has found that the disease was the leading cause of death in Britain by 2023, killing more than 75,000 people (stock image)

She said: ‘This data reveals the tragic reality of the devastating impact of dementia across Britain.

“This crisis will only worsen as our population ages unless the government takes action to address it.”

She added: ‘The 10-year health plan should be used as an opportunity to capitalize on recent advances in research, future-proof NHS dementia services and ensure that dementia does not remain a death sentence for everyone who touches it.’

An estimated 944,000 people in Britain are living with dementia. The charity predicts this number could rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Yet only around 64 per cent of people in England with dementia have a formal diagnosis, falling short of the government’s target of 67 per cent. .

Nearly half of cases can be prevented by lifestyle factors, so more must be done to prevent ill health, according to the charity.

Care Minister Stephen Kinnock added: ‘Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease that is having a terrible impact on so many families, including my own.

‘This data shows the heavy toll dementia is having on individuals and their loved ones in Britain.

‘With our Plan for Change, this Government is committed to getting the NHS back on its feet and creating a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis to the end of life.

‘We will put Britain at the forefront of transforming the treatment of dementia, supporting research into the disease and ensuring new clinical and cost-effective treatments are rolled out in a safe and timely manner.’