Alzheimer’s Society comment on CHKS research into cost of excess bed days due to dementia
Published 14 October 2009
Research carried out by CHKS has found that the cost to the NHS of excess bed days attributable to a secondary diagnosis of dementia is £40 million per annum.
The figures were based on an average cost per bed day of £420 (taken from NHS Workforce 2009 data). Excess bed days were counted as those where the length of stay was in excess of the expected length of stay for a given admission.
'This analysis highlights just how big an impact inefficient hospital systems can have on the public purse - though even this figure is likely to be an underestimate. Currently people with dementia are spending longer in hospital than those without the condition when they go in for routine operations. The care they experience during this stay is often extremely poor and considerable amounts of money are being wasted on providing it.
A full report into the cost to the NHS of poor dementia care in hospitals will be released by Alzheimer's Society next month with the aim of prompting immediate action on this pressing issue.'
Neil Hunt
Chief Executive
Alzheimer's Society
