Barchester News

Services available to elderly 'reducing'
09/12/2008
The number of services made available to patients has been reduced by nearly a third of health trusts, according to a new survey.

The number of services made available to patients has been reduced by nearly a third of health trusts, according to a new survey.

Specific care for dementia sufferers was not provided by 40 per cent of trusts, with a further 30 per cent downgrading their services over the past three years, the Alzheimer's Society revealed.

The figures obtained for GP Magazine also stated that dementia care has deteriorated, despite £100 billion being assigned to the NHS's annual budget.

Chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society Neil Hunt said: "What we need the NHS to do is to detect the signs of dementia, diagnose it early, break the news properly and offer sources of help. That is not happening."

There will be over a million people with dementia in the UK by 2025 according to the Alzheimer's Society, with the disease claiming the lives of 60,000 people a year.

Furthermore, 64 per cent of people currently in care homes show symptoms of dementia.

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