Emergency admissions for dementia patients rise 12%

A quarter of hospital beds are now occupied by dementia sufferers as emergency admissions have risen sharply in recent years, figures show.

Experts say the increasing number of admissions is costly to the NHS and in many cases unnecessary, as well as traumatic for vulnerable patients.

Campaigners are calling for new strategies to improve care for dementia under the reformed health service, with greater involvement from patients themselves.

Better services will become critical in the coming years as the ageing population means many more people in England will develop degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Currently some 750,000 people are estimated to have dementia, although many go undiagnosed, and the figure is expected to rise to 1million within a decade, pushing the financial cost to £27billion and posing “one of the most significant challenges” to health and social care.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “For many thousands of people with dementia being admitted to hospital is not the best treatment. It is also very costly.

“Commissioners must invest in services in the community to reduce this number and help people with dementia to live well at home.

“In just 10 years a million people will be living with the condition so change cannot come soon enough.”

Mike Birtwistle, managing director of MHP Health Mandate, added: “Being admitted to hospital as an emergency can be one of the most traumatic experiences for people with dementia and their carers.

“It is also a sign of failure, as many emergency admissions can be avoided through high quality community support.

“There is evidence that some services are getting it right, providing integrated care, focused on the needs of individuals.

“However, many are not. A key test for the Government’s NHS and social care reforms will be whether they can reverse this rising tide, improving the quality of community care and saving money.”

Figures from 144 Primary Care Trusts, obtained for the new report, show that 60 per cent recorded an increase in hospital admissions for dementia patients between 2006-07 and 2010-11. The largest rise was in Luton where the number nearly tripled, while Dudley saw a 61 per cent reduction.

Overall there has been a 12 per cent rise in the number of emergency hospital admissions for people with a primary diagnosis of dementia.

It is estimated that these 2,005 extra admissions, taking the total to almost 20,000 a year, cost the NHS an additional £2.8m. Many could have been avoided had patients received better support in their homes, it is claimed.

The “concerning” figures are also said to suggest that some doctors are failing to diagnose dementia patients when they are admitted, making it less likely they will receive the best care plans once they are discharged.

It comes despite the Department of Health publishing a dementia strategy in 2009 which was intended to transform services.

The report by MHP Health Mandate and the Alzheimer’s Society includes 20 recommendations for policymakers and health authorities.

These include making sure that new bodies being set up under the controversial Health and Social Care Bill, including the HealthWatch England watchdog and council-run Health and Wellbeing Boards, include representation from dementia sufferers and support groups.

It also recommends that the Department of Health find out more about the personal experiences of people with dementia and find out their needs.