York dementia diagnosis times 'huge issue', report finds

Public health expert Peter Roderick said there was a "diagnosis gap" in dementia care

People from York with dementia are having to wait years for a diagnosis a report has found.

In findings presented to councillors this week, patient group Healthwatch York said the city's diagnosis rate was much lower than other parts of England.

Research officer Roger Newton said it was a "huge issue" that left a significant number "waiting in limbo".

Public health expert Peter Roderick added there was a "diagnosis gap" in the city's dementia care provision.

The Healthwatch report examined support for carers and people living with the condition.

In 2020, it estimated, 2,511 people in York aged 65 and over had dementia, and 79 people under 65, but fewer were actually being diagnosed.

Mr Newton told the meeting: "There's a significant number of people that were telling us there was years of waiting in this limbo of really not really knowing, which is a terrible situation to be in and with no support in that.

"People are talking about years, not weeks or months."

'Positive impact'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the report also found annual care plan reviews for those with a diagnosis had decreased between 2019 and 2020 and remained below the national average.

"This means that some people living in York are not receiving a dementia diagnosis in a timely way and that some people's care plans are not being reviewed regularly and kept up to date," it said.

Councillor Janet Looker said it was important more work was done on dementia care as the problem was only going to increase.

The council's director of safeguarding, Michael Melvin, said the efforts to make York a dementia friendly city had had a positive impact.

He said: "But I would agree there is still a substantive gap, particularly with some of the statutory services we provide, some of the more specialist services and being able to tie that together with the community and voluntary sector."

The council is currently producing a dementia strategy to set out how the issue will be tackled in future.

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