James attended the Alzheimer’s Society’s Parliamentary Reception today, to pledge his support for greater dementia diagnosis in Halesowen & Rowley Regis.
There are over 2500 people in James’s constituency who are living with dementia, but just under 1600 have a diagnosis, meaning that those who haven’t may be missing out on vital care and support.
The current rate for Halesowen & Rowley Regis is 55.9%, which falls below the two-thirds national target for people living with dementia to have a formal diagnosis.
“Everyone who lives with dementia deserves an accurate, timely and high-quality diagnosis; not only does this helps them but it can also bring peace of mind for family and friends too", said James.
“I hope that with the Alzheimer’s Society raising awareness of these statistics, we can see urgent action to increase diagnosis rates and ensure that those with dementia don’t slip through the net.”
James White, Head of National Influencing at Alzheimer's Society, added, “The dementia diagnosis rate fell below the national ambition during the pandemic, and it has remained stagnant around 62% ever since. More than 30,000 people have missed out on a diagnosis, and therefore access to help and support, during this period.
“We believe it’s better to know – 9 in 10 people told us they benefitted from getting a diagnosis as it meant they could access treatment and advice and plan for the future.”
