Record number of people in England diagnosed with dementia last year
NHS figures show that a record number of people in England have been diagnosed with dementia in the past year.
The latest data shows a record 487,432 people were diagnosed in June. However, the rate is still below pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 65% of people diagnosed with the condition, below the NHS target of 66.7%, last met in 2019.
According to the NHS, England had one of the highest dementia diagnosis rates in the world, with high-income countries typically in the 20-50% range. The health service attributes this to specialist nursing and other staff proactively assessing care home residents to identify those who may have dementia.
Yet a postcode lottery continues, with a recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on dementia estimating that more than 115,000 people with dementia remain undiagnosed because of their living environment. Analysis from NHS figures on dementia in primary care A 2023 study found that there was a 45 percentage point gap between the best and worst performing companies.
This is due to a number of structural barriers, including cultural differences, difficulties in seeing a GP, long waiting times for memory tests, lack of support after diagnosis, insufficient scanners and difficulties travelling to appointments.
The APPG called on the previous government to significantly increase scanning capacity and staffing levels and called on NHS Integrated Care Boards to implement strategic local plans to increase access to diagnostic services.
Early diagnosis ensures that people receive the support and care they need to live with the disease.
The NHS is urging people to come forward and get tested if they have common early signs or symptoms, and is also urging family and friends to encourage anyone they are concerned about to go to their GP for an assessment.
Dr Jeremy Isaacs, national clinical director for dementia at NHS England, said: “NHS staff have been working hard to restore services as the number of people diagnosed has risen significantly over the past year and is now at record highs, but more work needs to be done.
“Every month, thousands more people are diagnosed and more drug reviews are completed within 12 months.”
The latest figures show that 86,434 people with a dementia diagnosis have had their medication reviewed in the previous 12 months. The figure for June 2023 was 77,112.
Common early symptoms of dementia include forgetting information, saying the same thing over and over again, having trouble following a conversation or finding the right word, and being confused about time and place. These problems are usually more obvious to the person’s family and friends than to the person themselves.
Dr Alex Osborne, policy manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, welcomed the progress but said more needed to be done.
“Early, accurate diagnosis is critical to enable care, support and treatment,” she said.
“A third of people with dementia in England have no diagnosis, meaning they are missing out on the benefits it can bring. There is also significant regional variation in diagnosis rates. This needs to change.
“We are close to meeting the existing target of a 66.7% diagnosis rate, so we want to see ambitious but achievable new targets set for the future to ensure everyone gets the diagnosis they need.”
Recent research from UCL has indicated that the incidence of dementia has been increasing in England and Wales since 2008, and predicts that there could be up to 1.7 million people living with dementia in England and Wales by 2040 – over 40% more than previously predicted. This is mainly driven by an ageing population, although incidence is also increasing within age groups.
The researchers warned that dementia is an “urgent policy issue” that requires greater investment in social care.