More than two in five suspected dementia cases in Crawley lack a formal diagnosis

More than two in five suspected dementia cases among those 65 and older in Crawley do not have a formal diagnosis, new figures show.

During Dementia Action Week, which began on Tuesday, charities have called on the Government to improve diagnostic rates and invest in support for people living with dementia.

Figures from the NHS show 1,243 people aged 65 and older in Crawley were estimated to have dementia in March 2023. Of them, 700 (56.3%) had a formal diagnosis.

It meant 43.7% of people believed to have dementia in the area did not have a diagnosis.

Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK, said dementia is a growing issue in society largely due to an ageing population.

Mr Edwards added continued cuts and a lack of focus on community services which support families with dementia have led to "thousands being stuck in limbo and highly stressed" as they are unable to get a diagnosis.

"In this climate of stretched services and increasing diagnosis rates, we urgently need to bridge the gap between health and social care systems, so that people receive a timely diagnosis and can access the support they need," he said.

"No one should have to face dementia alone."

Across England, an estimated 687,000 people aged 65 and older have dementia. Of them, 433,000 patients (63%) had a recorded diagnosis of dementia as of March this year.

The areas in the country with the highest rate of diagnosis were Stoke (83.9%), Lincoln (82.8%), Rossendale in Lancashire (81.5%) and Ashfield in Nottinghamshire (81.5%). Excluding the City of London, the lowest rates were in South Hams in Devon (44.1%), Eden in Cumbria (45.7%) and Wychavon in Worcestershire (46.8%).

Mark MacDonald, Alzheimer’s Society associate director for advocacy, said dementia diagnosis rates hit a five-year low during the pandemic and have stagnated ever since.