Alzhemer's Society: Hospital system on the brink of crisis

This is at the same time as general and acute beds have reduced by a third in the past 25 years.

In their report 'Hospitals on the Edge', the college shows that pressure on hospital beds and a system struggling to cope with complex needs has left those with conditions like dementia hardest hit. The report shows that older people take up 70 per cent of bed days and identifies lack of continuity of care as a major concern.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'People with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds, yet constantly we hear that they face poor quality care from staff not trained in dementia care. Bearing this in mind, these latest findings are alarming but, unfortunately, not surprising.

'It is painfully evident that the healthcare system stands on the brink of crisis. People with dementia are going into hospital unnecessarily, staying in too long and coming out worse. Supporting people to live well at home and reducing the length of time a person stays in hospital can both improve quality of life and save the NHS hundreds of millions per year.'

Jeremy Hughes
Chief Executive
Alzheimer's Society

• find out about Alzheimer's Society's 'Counting the cost' about care in hospitals for people with dementia