NHS 'must do more' for dementia patients

Dementia patients in NHS hospitals must receive a higher standard of care to avoid scandals such as that concerning the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust.

That is the view of Dr Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society. He has called for improvements ahead of the publication tomorrow (February 6th) of the Francis Report into the Stafford Hospital failings.

The Alzheimer's Society says that a quarter of all UK hospital beds are occupied by patients with dementia and it claims that 47 per cent see their general health decline after entering a hospital.

"Despite the government's prioritisation of the condition, some hospitals are still failing vulnerable people. Lengthy stays in hospital can cause people's condition to worsen, rather than helping them to get well," Dr Hughes stated.

In 2012, the Alzheimer's Society and over 100 other organisations joined forces to produce a set of guidelines regarding treatment of vulnerable patients. However, 98 of the 168 hospital trusts have so far failed to sign up to the Right Care principles - including Mid-Staffordshire.

Find out more about dementia care and support services at Barchester care homes.