Dementia diagnosis rates: 'Shockingly low'

The NHS in England has been told to push for a rapid rise in dementia diagnosis rates, so that by 2015, two out of three cases are identified.

Currently fewer than half of people with dementia have a diagnosis.

A senior adviser on public health says dementia cases could be halved if more were done on prevention.

He wants wide-scale mental agility testing to identify people at risk, but critics say that would cause unnecessary fear and anxiety.

The government says the overall dementia diagnosis rate in England - about 45% - is "shockingly low". The issue was raised as a priority a year ago in the prime minister's "challenge on dementia".

This set out a programme to improve care, promote public support and understanding of dementia, and encourage research.

Now, in a progress report, NHS England says diagnosis rates should rise by more than 20% over the next two years, so two out of three cases are detected.

This would bring overall diagnosis rates in England into line with those in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

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