Reduce hospital beds by at least 10 per cent and create over £1 billion for community based dementia services

The call, the first of its kind by a cross party group, comes as the APPG launches its hard hitting report 'The £20 billion question'. The report looks at dementia care in the community, hospitals and care homes against the current backdrop of NHS and social care budget restraints and a rapidly ageing population.

Up to a quarter of hospital beds are taken up by people with dementia. As well as being costly for the NHS, staying in hospital can also be very traumatic for people with dementia, with many leaving hospital in worse health than when they went in. Making £1 billion available for dementia services such as outreach teams, respite services and better support at home will significantly reduce the number of people needing hospital care. It will also reduce the length of hospital stays as people would be able to return home sooner. Just £141 million could give every person with dementia access to a dementia adviser while £68 million could provide all care homes in the UK with support from NHS services to improve care and reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs. 

Baroness Sally Greengross, Chair of the APPG on Dementia, said:

'Dementia currently costs the UK £20 billion a year, and this is set to rise to £27 billion by 2018. Money is consistently being thrown away on poor quality services and inappropriate care for people with dementia. The Dilnot Commission last week put caring for older people firmly in the spotlight, but its recommendations are not yet a reality. Our report shows there are many ways to save money and improve care now.'

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer's Society, said:

'We can't keep using the chicken and egg excuse that it's not possible to cut hospital beds, and release funds, until community services are in place. The reality is, money is not being spent in the best way and NHS bosses must find a way to change this. Most people with dementia want to be in their own home and minimise the time they are in hospital.  But too often this simply is not possible because they are not given the right support at the right time. If we take action now, we can reduce hospital admissions, reduce length of stay and improve quality of life for people with dementia.'

Angela Smith, aged 62 from Kent, cared for her husband Freddie who died with dementia. She said:

'Freddie had to spend six weeks in hospital at one stage, which was awful. He was just left in a heap and there was hardly any interaction with him. I couldn't bear seeing him there. If we had had support earlier on, the whole trauma could have been avoided. The support I finally received at home was a lifeline because it meant I could look after him where we both wanted him to be.'

Recommendations from 'The £20 billion question: An inquiry into improving lives through cost effective dementia services' include focusing on early intervention rather than acute care, providing better dementia training for care staff, and improved co-ordination between health and social care services. The APPG reviewed more than 200 pieces of evidence in the report.

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Notes to editors:

• Case studies and spokespeople are available for interview on request, please call the press office on 020 7423 3595
• For more information on the APPG on Dementia and to download 'The £20 billion question: An inquiry into improving lives through cost effective dementia services', please visit alzheimers.org.uk/APPG
• The APPG on Dementia is an informal parliamentary group made up of MPs and Peers with an interest in dementia. Alzheimer's Society provides administrative support and expert advice to the Group
• The financial costing featured in paragraph one is based on the following calculation. The total occupancy of hospital beds is approximately 105,000 (NHS statistics 2009/10). Up to one quarter, or 26,000 of hospital beds are occupied by someone with dementia. It costs approximately £1,500 to care for someone with dementia in hospital for a week (NHS tariffs 2010). If we cut the number of beds by 12 per cent this would therefore free up over £1 billion a year
• One in three people over 65 will die with dementia
• Alzheimer's Society research shows that 750,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In just ten years a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051
• Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and the millions of people who care for them
• Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Alzheimer's Society supports people to live well with dementia today and funds research to find a cure for tomorrow. We rely on voluntary donations to continue our vital work. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk
  
• Alzheimer's Society provides a National Dementia Helpline, the number is 0845 300 0336 or visit alzheimers.org.uk