Number diagnosed with dementia hits record high and now tops 450,000

By Sally Wardle12th June 2019News EnglandAlzheimers, Dementia, News England, Older People

The number of older people living with dementia hit a record high last month, new figures show.

A total of 453,881 over-65s were living with the condition in May, NHS England said.

This number has increased by 7% since the data was first recorded in June 2016, from 424,390 diagnoses.

Alistair Burns, NHS national clinical director for dementia and older people’s mental health, said: “Spotting dementia in a timely way means people get the care they need, when they need it, so it’s good news that more people are having their condition identified and their treatment delivered.

“As the population ages, the NHS is having to run to keep up as dementia becomes a challenge for more and more families, which is why the NHS Long Term Plan sets out a blueprint for older people’s care and makes early diagnosis and treatment for major health problems a top priority.”