NHS bosses accused of ‘gambling’ with health of dementia sufferers in post code lottery
Shocking figures show just 49 per cent of patients are having care reviewed every 12 months
NHS CHIEFS were last night accused of “gambling” with the health of 850,000 dementia sufferers in a devastating post code lottery.
Ministers were urged to act as new figures revealed huge gaps in the way elderly and frail Brits with the debilitating condition are treated.
In figures that stunned critics, the Government revealed that just 49 per cent of dementia sufferers are having their care reviewed every 12 months in Somerset – compared with 83 per cent in central Manchester.
And while over eight in ten sufferers die in their “usual place of residence” in Northwich and Winsford, Lancs just 40.9 per cent in the London borough of Waltham Forest pass away at home or in care.
Emergency hospital admissions vary from over 5,600 a year in Knowsley to just over 2,000 in Basingstoke.
The Alzheimer’s Society last night demanded urgent explanations for why emergency hospital admissions were so high in some areas of the country.
And it demanded NHS Trusts publish an annual statement on dementia care so campaigners knew where standards should improve.
Alzheimer Society head of policy George McNamara said: “In some parts of the country, people with dementia are much less likely to have had their care reviewed in the last 12 months than in others – something which is extremely important given that dementia is a progressive condition and a person’s needs become more severe over time.
“The causes of variation need to be investigated to ensure care is never a gamble.”
Carey Mulligan’s first action in her new role will come on September 21 when she marks World Alzheimer’s Day with a talk in Los Angeles.
In a statement yesterday she said: “My Nan’s has dementia and I have experienced first-hand how devastating it can be.
“It affects everyone differently and it’s so important that everyone affected by the condition is treated with respect and dignity they deserve.”
There are an estimated 676,000 people in England with dementia and 850,000 across the UK. But the numbers are set to hit 1 million in 2025 and 2 million by 2051.
Jeremy Hunt said: “We have great strides in improving diagnosis rates, investing in research and creating the first dementia friendly communities but we still have much further to go to promise everyone that they will be able to live well with the condition.”