Social care ‘facing funding gap of over £1bn’

March 20, 2011 Alzheimer’s, Cancer, dementia, disability, Multiple Sclerosis, Older care

Social care ‘facing funding gap of over £1bn’

Social care is facing a funding gap of more than £1bn by 2014 in England – a situation which would have consequences for the NHS, a leading think-tank says.
The King’s Fund analysis predicted councils would struggle to protect home help and care home places as they come to terms with funding cuts.

London doctor survey warning over NHS dementia demand

March 15, 2011 Alzheimer’s, dementia

15 March 2011

Government reforms of the NHS will not tackle the growing demand from dementia sufferers, a study analysing London services has shown.

The study from the think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found one in three GPs were unable to diagnose the illness.

The Department of Health said it was undertaking an audit of dementia.

But IPPR associate director Rick Muir said: “It is far from clear that changes will rise to the challenge.”

The number of people with dementia is expected to soar as the population ages, with more than a million people diagnosed in England by 2021, according to the study.