To ease NHS winter pressures, we must get dementia diagnosis right

(Phanie - Sipa Press / Alamy)

4 min read09 January

Winter brings a perfect storm for the NHS, as seasonal illnesses take hold and pile pressure on already strained services.

People living with dementia are among those worst hit. Too many are diagnosed too late or not at all, leaving families to cope alone until crisis hits, and hospital becomes the only option. One in six hospital beds are occupied by someone with dementia. This is upsetting for them and their families and leads to worsening symptoms and physical and cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s Society tells us people with dementia stay in hospital significantly longer than people without the condition. Getting an early and accurate diagnosis and support right away is one of the most practical ways to ease strain by avoiding crisis, which is why we must act now.

With the right support, people with dementia can live at home longer, maintaining routines and dignity and avoiding unnecessary hospital stays. I have seen this myself. My 89-year-old mother was diagnosed seven years ago, and because her condition was picked up early, she received the right treatment and support, helping her stay at home where she wanted to be rather than in hospital.

Dementia is one of the greatest health and social care challenges of our generation. A diagnosis unlocks the right kind of support and helps with understanding your condition. It is the difference between coping and crisis in winter, especially as winter illnesses put extra strain on people and services. Yet around a third of people living with dementia in England and Northern Ireland do not have a diagnosis, rising to around half in Wales. Without early support, many only get help when they reach crisis and end up in hospital, which could have been avoided.

Alzheimer's Society research estimates more than 500,000 visits were made to hospital emergency departments last year by patients with undiagnosed dementia. Those with undiagnosed dementia are three times more likely to go to A&E than other over-65s. Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK and it is the country’s biggest killer.

In my own patch across Kent this pressure is felt every winter. The dementia diagnosis rate stands at 62 per cent, below both South East and England averages. This means more people with dementia arriving at hospital in crisis rather than being supported earlier in the community. Some parts of my constituency, like Dartford, are doing well on diagnosis. But winter pressures are not solved in pockets. We cannot ignore areas that are still lagging behind. Genuine progress depends on action locally, so diagnosis and support improve everywhere, not just in a few places.

This is about making the most of life after diagnosis for longer, avoiding emergencies, and staying at home with dignity

I have seen the stress a late diagnosis adds to families and the NHS, through my time in local government and on the Treasury Select Committee. When the Chancellor came before the committee after the Autumn Budget, she was clear that spending decisions must ease pressure on the frontline. Dementia shows why that matters. It already costs the UK around £42bn a year across healthcare, social care and unpaid care, yet only around 1.4 per cent of dementia healthcare spending goes on diagnosis and treatment.

That is why the forthcoming Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia matters. Getting dementia right supports the NHS’s shift towards prevention and community care, and reduces winter pressures driven by crisis care. It needs to be bold, set long-term goals, and focus on getting care right from the start, not just responding when people reach crisis each winter. This must include clear ambitions to reduce dementia-related mortality and compress morbidity, galvanising the system to cut avoidable hospitalisation. For people living with dementia, this is about making the most of life after diagnosis for longer, avoiding emergencies, and staying at home with dignity. If we want to ease winter pressures and spend public money wisely, getting diagnosis and support right for dementia has to be part of the answer.

Jim Dickson is the Labour MP for Dartford