FEWER than three in five of people suspected of living with dementia in Dorset were given a formal diagnosis last year, new figures show.

NHS England guidance gives a target for two-thirds of people suspected of having dementia to be officially diagnosed with the condition.

But data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows just 55 per cent of people thought to have dementia in the NHS Dorset CCG area were formally diagnosed in 2021 – based on an indicator that predicts the expected number of dementia cases in people aged 65 and over.

Nationally, 61 per cent of predicted dementia cases were formally diagnosed last year – the lowest rate in five years of available data.

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Zena Aldridge, from Dementia UK, said a lack of funding has led to "patchy" diagnosis rates and Covid-19 had an even greater impact, with face-to-face GP appointments reduced and memory assessment services scaled back or closed.

Thousands of families are stuck in limbo as they wait for a diagnosis, she added, with periods of isolation meaning friends and family have missed possible symptoms.

Ms Aldridge said: "Although there is no cure for dementia, receiving a diagnosis early on enables the person to plan for their future and seek appropriate support. 

"We urgently need to address this imbalance by investing in quality dementia specialist care."

Across England, 415,778 people were formally diagnosed with dementia in 2021, down from 454,599 the year before.

In Dorset, the total also fell, from 8,255 in 2020 to 7,567 last year.

A spokesperson for NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said “Whilst we recognise that dementia diagnosis rates in Dorset are slightly lower than the national average, we are confident that a range of new services that were recently introduced locally will improve rates in the coming months and years, allowing more people to benefit from early intervention.

“COVID-19 has had a massive impact on all areas of health and care – dementia services being no exception – and following the end of restrictions we are pleased to have seen an increase in funding for local services along with more people coming forward for assessment.”