Patients in England are waiting up to two years for a dementia diagnosis, with average delays increasing by more than a third since 2019, a new report has revealed.
Average waits from referral to diagnosis have risen from 13 weeks in 2019 to 17.7 weeks, while maximum waits have grown from 34 weeks to two years.
The figures are from The current state of dementia diagnosis & care in England, a report by Care England, a charity representing independent adult social care providers.
Care England said the findings show “government failure to deliver timely and effective strategies to address the growing demand for dementia services”.
Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “People living with dementia, and the professionals who care for them, are navigating a system that is too often reactive, underfunded, and disjointed.
“This report is a call to redesign that system from the ground up, which needs national leadership, long-term investment, and a commitment to treating dementia care as a priority, not an afterthought.
“Behind every statistic is a person whose journey with dementia could have been better if there were earlier diagnosis and more co-ordinated care.
“We need leadership, investment, and urgency – as a society, we owe it to the nearly one million people living with dementia to build a system that acts before crisis, supports every stage of the journey, and delivers dignity, not disparity.”
The review recommends a national diagnostic pathway, nationally mandated care standards for every stage of the condition, and training and funding for care providers.
It also calls for the reintroduction of a dementia diagnosis benchmark under a Dementia Accountability Framework.
Jill Quinn, chief executive of the charity Dementia Forward, said: “Without a national dementia strategy and a uniformed approach, not only do we create dangerous gaps in the support and care, but we also fail to share good practice and ultimately improve lives.
“Our hope is that we can work together to create a system that helps people, avoids crises and improves lives.”