Dementia cases double in a decade

22 Dec 2019

Dementia cases across Scotland have doubled in the space of a decade, new figures have shown.

According to prescribing statistics, there were 270,000 drugs handed out to people suffering from the disease last year.

That compares to just 136,000 in 2010/11, the ISD Scotland data revealed.

The number of items being handed out by the NHS has risen steadily since then, indicating Scotland is the midst of a dementia crisis, with an estimated 90,000 patients.

Scottish Conservative mental health spokeswoman Annie Wells said the revelations showed more had to be done to ensure those vulnerable patients were receiving sufficient care.

The SNP government has been repeatedly criticised for its failure to prepare for Scotland’s ageing population.

And even when it comes to the implementation of Frank’s Law – legislation that was meant to help younger dementia sufferers – some SNP councils are now refusing to fund it.

Scottish Conservative mental health spokeswoman Annie Wells said:

“The fact the number of dementia cases have doubled within the space of a decade shows the scale of the challenge facing the NHS.

“These are vulnerable people who need and deserve the highest standard of care.

“But the SNP’s negligence of the NHS means wards are short-staffed and the health service is completely ill-equipped to deal with these increasing cases.

“Ministers have been warned for years about the impact of an ageing population and have refused to listen.

“If the nationalists don’t act now, the wellbeing of thousands upon thousands of dementia patients will be at risk.”