Number of dementia cases continues to rise in Hartlepool - services praised for caring for those affected

Figures from the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust said in 2018/19 a total of 4,218 patients were admitted with a diagnosis of dementia/delirium, a rise of 604 from 3,614 the previous year.

This was followed up with a further 3,494 patients diagnosed from April 2019 to January 2020.

Health bosses, speaking at the last Hartlepool Borough Council Audit and Governance Committee, noted the figure has been increasing each year and expect it to continue to rise.

Keith Wheldon, safety and quality performance manager at the trust, said: “There is a greater increase in patients being identified or being diagnosed with dementia.

“2013/14 the trust admitted 1,833, now it’s up to, for the last year, 4,218, so a year on year increase every single year.

“Currently for April to January this year we’ve got 3,494 so again looking at the comparison for previous years we’ll probably have another increase based on last year as well.

“Is that because more patients are being diagnosed, or is it because of better documentation and better reviewing process, it’s probably a combination of both to be honest.

“We have improved our dementia diagnosis processes but I think the ageing population that we do have, we always expect to find more patients coming in with the conditions as well.”

Coun Stephen Thomas, Healthwatch Hartlepool representative, praised the improvements in dementia care in the area at the meeting.

He added 80% of the population group who are over 65 and would be expected to have dementia are now identified at an early stage, making the area one of the best performing in the country.

Coun Thomas said: “That isn’t to say 80% of everyone over 65 has dementia, 80% of the expected population of people over 65 are now identified quite early.

“Nationally that is one of the highest rates within the country now for being able to identify people so quickly and that is really, really important.

“Getting that early identification of dementia allows support to be referred and to be put in place for that individual.

“Although there is still no known cure for dementia, getting support in early can control the development of dementia and put a lot of positive things in place both for the individual and the family.

“That really is one of the big steps forward we have made in making Hartlepool a far more dementia friendly town than it was six or seven years ago.”

It comes after in December 2018 the council committed to a series of actions in order to be named ‘dementia friendly’, including plans to support over 300 staff to become Dementia Friends, and to build dementia friendly training into the mandatory induction programme for new employees.

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