Dementia sufferers may be missing out on revolutionary new drugs that can slow symptoms because NHS tests are not good enough, a leading charity warned yesterday.
Due to a shortage of expensive brain scans, most patients do not receive a proper diagnosis until it is too late to start taking preventive medications.
Currently, more than a third of people with symptoms of dementia are not diagnosed at all, making it impossible to prescribe potentially life-changing medications.
Lecanemab and donanemab, which could be licensed for use in the UK this year, slow the early stages of the disease by attacking harmful amyloid proteins in the brain.
Due to a shortage of expensive brain scans, most patients do not receive a proper diagnosis until it is too late to start taking preventive medications.
But Dr Susan Mitchell, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the NHS is not ready to roll out the drugs.
“Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, and people affected by it have waited too long for new treatments that can slow the progression of their symptoms,” he said.
‘First-generation treatments are now on the horizon, but we are concerned that the NHS is not prepared to deliver them, particularly because of the way people are diagnosed.
“This has barely changed in decades and leaves too many people undiagnosed. On top of this, only two percent of people get a “gold standard” diagnosis through lumbar punctures or PET scans.
‘If people want to access these new treatments, they will need a formal diagnosis using ‘gold standard’ tests. But the shocking reality is that dementia diagnosis targets are consistently missed across the country every month, leaving thousands of families facing a more anxious and uncertain time as a result.
“Chronic underfunding and failure to address shortcomings in NHS diagnostic capacity have partly led us to this frustrating position.”
Dr Susan Mitchell (pictured), head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the NHS is not ready to launch the drugs.
Many dementia patients are diagnosed based on observation of symptoms and memory tests. A previous Alzheimer’s Society study showed that 1 in 4 people wait two years before getting help.
Dr Mitchell said if nothing changes, half of people in the UK will be affected by dementia at some point, whether through caring for someone, developing the disease themselves or both.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of the NHS, said dementia diagnosis rates have begun to recover after being severely affected by the pandemic.
He said: “The health service is committed to further improving support for people affected by dementia, including by providing personalized care packages.”
‘The NHS is a world leader in developing innovative treatments and is doing everything it can to prepare for the arrival of new treatments for Alzheimer’s once they are deemed safe and approved for use. A specific NHS program is looking at what services and tests would be best used to help people in the early stages of this cruel disease.
“Diagnosing dementia early can make a big difference, so see your GP as soon as possible if you have any concerns.”