The UK has seen a rise in the number of dementia sufferers by 50,000 in the past year, new figures have revealed. There are now more than 800,000 victims in Britain, with three out of four becoming anxious or depressed and six out of 10 feeling lonely, according to a new survey.
PM David Cameron yesterday launched a new campaign to tackle the growing crisis – calling it a “scandal”. In its most wide-ranging survey of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society found three out of four people do not think society is geared up to deal with the disease. The same number also feel their carer is not getting the support they need.
Speaking at an Alzheimer’s Society conference, Mr Cameron said yesterday, “Dementia is a terrible disease. And it is a scandal that we as a country haven’t kept pace with it.” It costs the country about £23 billion a year. In a speech in London, Mr Cameron said funding would go from “£26 million at the end of the last parliament to over £66 million at the end of this one.” “Next month there'll be £54 million of funding on top of the normal tariff to encourage hospitals to get to grips with dementia,” he added.
“We did it with cancer in the 70s. With HIV in the 80s and 90s. We fought the stigma, stepped up to the challenge and made massive in-roads into fighting these killers. Now we've got to do the same with dementia.” He said he wanted Britain, “to be a world leader in dementia research and care.”
Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Jeremy Hughes said, “The announcement by the Prime Minister marks an unprecedented step towards making the UK a world leader in dementia. Doubling funding for research, tackling diagnosis and calling for a radical shift in the way we talk, think and act on dementia will help to transform lives.”
Alzheimer's Disease is the most common cause of dementia and the most feared complaint among people over the age of 55 in the UK. However, only one in four people with the illness are diagnosed, a statistic that the Prime Minister wants to drive down. “In the first year that money will be there for those who assess over 75-year-olds admitted to hospital to check for signs of dementia,” Mr Cameron said. “This isn't some box-ticking exercise, it's about actively trying to pick-up people who may not realise they have dementia,” he added. Mr Cameron also plans to improve research on living with dementia and fund a new academic centre for scientists to investigate the causes of the condition.
Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, said, “Rising to this challenge will require excellence in medical research, so we can better understand the biology of dementia and use that insight to improve diagnosis and treatment. The dementia challenge, however, will not be resolved by the natural sciences alone. It will also require progress in social care, so that patients can be helped to live at home for longer, and so that relatives who care for their loved ones receive the support they need. And it will require action to raise awareness of this devastating condition, so that it is understood and not stigmatized.”
Shirley Cramer, acting chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said the prime minister's announcement was an “important step” in solving the challenge presented by dementia. “Investment must continue to increase if we are to avert the drastic economic costs of dementia that lie in wait,” Cramer added. “Alzheimer's Research UK looks forward to working with government to ensure this new funding achieves what is so desperately needed – new treatments and therapies.”
Shadow care minister Liz Kendall said, “The crisis in dementia cannot be addressed without tackling the crisis in care. More than £1billion has been cut from local council budgets for older people’s social care since the Government came to power. Eight out of 10 councils are now providing support only for those with substantial and critical needs. Charges for vital services for people with dementia, like home help, are increasing and vary hugely across the country. These are a stealth tax on some of the most vulnerable people in society.”
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