Half of people with dementia in Wales not diagnosed

More than half of people living with dementia in Wales have not received a formal diagnosis, a report has claimed.

The Alzheimer's Society said Wales has some of the UK's worst rates - of the 43% of people who have been diagnosed, many do not have adequate support.

It said a lack of diagnosis takes the power to make decisions away from the 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales.

The Welsh government said it has set "challenging targets" for the NHS.

'Alarming'

The report claims no health boards in Wales have diagnosis rates above 50% and the lowest was 37.2%.

It said little improvement has been seen, with a rise of 0.6% since 2014.

Sue Phelps, director of the society in Wales, said: "It is not only alarming that diagnosis figures are so low in Wales but it also disempowers people with dementia and their families when making decisions about their care.

"Receiving a diagnosis of dementia empowers people to make these decisions and choices; it opens the door to accessing services and in some cases, equips people with medication to help manage their condition."