Belfast has the highest rate of dementia diagnosis in the UK, according to a new report by the Alzheimer’s Society.

The figures reveal substantial regional differences across the UK.

Belfast has a diagnosis rate of 75.5%, compared to a 31.6% rate in East Riding of Yorkshire.

Northern Ireland has seen an increase of 600 patients over the past year, bringing the total to 11,800. It also has a 63% diagnosis rate, above the UK average of 46%.

The whole of the UK has seen a 3% increase in the number of people diagnosed with dementia.

But there are thought to be 428,000 people in the UK living with the condition but who are not diagnosed.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society said: "It’s disgraceful that more than half of all people with dementia are not receiving a diagnosis, and disappointing to see such a disparity in diagnosis rates in different regions of the UK.

"Studies show that an early diagnosis can save the taxpayer thousands of pounds, because it can delay someone needing care outside of their own home. The NHS has already made a commitment to improving diagnosis rates but more needs to be done to ensure people with dementia are able to live as well as possible with the disease."

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health said: "The small improvement in dementia diagnosis is good news, but the extreme variation across the country is unacceptable. It’s time for the worst performing areas to wake up to the dementia time bomb. While many areas do excellent work, the worst is diagnosing just a third of people with dementia - delaying vital treatment and causing unnecessary suffering."

The Alzheimer's Society advises speaking to a GP if experiencing symptoms such as struggling to remember recent events, finding it difficult to follow conversations or programmes on TV or forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects.

(IT)