DEMENTIA diagnosis rates in the West Midlands are below the national target, with only 61 per cent of patients being diagnosed.
The disparity has been highlighted by an inquiry from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia, which found that where you live has a ‘massive impact’ on whether you will get a timely, accurate and high-quality dementia diagnosis.
The group of cross-party MPs, alongside dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society, is calling for a levelling up of diagnosis rates – as well as an urgent improvement in the speed and accuracy of dementia diagnosis, particularly in rural and ethnically-diverse areas.
Although dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, over 250,000 people with dementia in England are estimated to be living without a diagnosis, 1 unable to unlock vital treatments, care and support.
While there is currently no cure, there are treatments available, and new drugs coming down the line which could delay progression of the condition.
Danielle Cooper, head of local services for the West Midlands at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Dementia is a devastating disease, and delays in diagnosis can lead to crisis.
“We know one in four people with dementia battle symptoms for over two years before seeking a diagnosis, and a third of these people have an accident before looking for help.
“This inquiry lays bare the stark inequalities that still exist in getting a diagnosis – it’s unacceptable that your postcode, your mobility, or your support network can all be factors determining your chance of getting the diagnosis you deserve.
“Today hundreds of thousands of people are facing dementia alone, unable to access the vital help and support that a diagnosis can bring.”
To address the inequality in people’s chance of getting an accurate sub-type dementia diagnosis, the inquiry calls for the earliest possible adoption of blood-based biomarker tests, which would reduce the need for expensive and scarce brain scans.
Visit alzheimers.org.uk for more information.
