Monday 16 May 2022 10:37 PM 325,000 are living with undiagnosed dementia as report bemoans postcode lottery trends now
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More than 325,000 people in England are living with dementia but have not been diagnosed, according to a study.
Diagnosis rates have fallen below the Government’s target of two-thirds since the pandemic began.
The report found there is a postcode lottery in terms of who is diagnosed, with proportions ranging from 83 per cent to less than 50 per cent.
NHS England set an ambition in 2013 for two-thirds of people with dementia in England to have a diagnosis and follow-up support.
But the rate fell from 68 per cent in February 2020 to 62 per cent in March, NHS Digital said.
Consultancy Future Health said the data suggests more than 325,000 people in England may have undiagnosed dementia.
The report said that from 2020 to 2021, 430,000 people had a formal diagnosis but around four in ten of those with dementia did not.
It found the Midlands has the highest proportion of undiagnosed dementia, while London and the North West have the lowest.
But the analysis also