NICE decision 'a momentous one' for dementia patients

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has done a major u-turn on a certain type of dementia drug.

NICE, the body that sets the guidelines concerning which drugs are available on the NHS, has decided that three drugs - Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl - are after all cost-effective and should be available on prescription.

Bosses decided that the overall benefits in reducing treatment costs throughout the course of the illness outweighed the cost of providing the medication.

Reacting to the news, the interim chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society Ruth Sutherland said the charity will continue to campaign to allow as many people as possible to get the treatments immediately.

She explained: "This is a momentous day for thousands of people with Alzheimer's and their carers.

"These drugs can help people have a better quality of life at all stages of the condition."

The Alzheimer's Research Trust also welcomed the news.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.