The Scottish Government needs to find another £15 million a year for the next five years to fund the better management of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Dementia Manifesto launched by Alzheimer’s Scotland this week.
One-quarter of all deaths in Scotland are now due to the condition, which affects 70,000 people and their families – set to almost double in 20 years – and costs the country £1.7 billion a year, according to the charity. Yet it gets only two pence in every pound of medical research funding.
One major demand of the manifesto, based on consultations with patients and their families, is for more to be done to help people when they are diagnosed. “No-one should be left to face this on their own,” says the document, which aims to influence Scotland’s first National Strategy on Alzheimer’s due next spring.Also this week, the Scottish government launches a national consultation which will include a face-to-face event to get input from sufferers and carers.
