Charities and nurses join forces to appeal perverse decision on Alzheimer's drugs

Spearheaded by the Alzheimer's Society, Royal College of Nursing and Age Concern, the joint appeal highlights a catalogue of failures by NICE in the way it reached its decision to deny people in the early and late stages of Alzheimer's disease access to drug treatments. It also condemns the guidance as perverse in light of the evidence. The groups heavily criticise fundamental flaws in the model NICE used to decide that the differences these drugs make to people's lives are not worth £2.50 a day.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, says,

'How can a body which prides itself on clinical excellence produce such unethical and damning guidance? We are left with no choice but to appeal this appalling and morally perverse decision. This is the beginning of our fight back on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people with Alzheimer's disease who deserve more dignity and respect.'

Pauline Ford, representing the Royal College of Nursing, says,

'Nurses are at the heart of the process of assessing, prescribing and delivering care to people with dementia. By denying them the chance to prescribe these drugs that we know will make a difference to our patients, NICE's decision will undermine the trust between nurses, patients and their families.'

Gordon Lishman, Director General Age Concern says,

'It is simply cruel that NICE is proposing people are going to have to get worse before they receive help. It is crucial that these drugs are made available to people in the early stages of dementia. They can cost as little as £2.50 a day per person and can make day-to-day life more manageable for thousands.'

For further media information, contact Gayle Wing, Alzheimer's Society press office.

Notes for editors

• The joint appeal will be handed to NICE today (Thursday 15 June) by a group of psychiatrists, nurses, doctors, people with Alzheimer's disease and their carers to NICE at Midcity Place, 71 High Holburn, London at 4.45pm. Photographers and journalists welcome.
• People with Alzheimer's disease and their carers must then wait up to 10 weeks before the appeal is heard, and the fate of the only drug treatments to help them is known.
• The Alzheimer's Society, Royal College of Nursing and Age Concern are members of the Action on Alzheimer's Drugs alliance. The Royal College of Psychiatrists will also be lodging an appeal.
• The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal for drug treatments recommends three anti-cholinesterase drugs (Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl) only be funded for people in the moderate stages. Ebixa, used in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease, will not be funded.