NHS professionals ‘improving recognition of dementia symptoms’

Recognition of dementia symptoms among NHS staff has seen a tangible improvement over the last few years, according to a new Public Health England report.

Data from the organisation's Dementia Intelligence Network has revealed that the proportion of people with dementia being admitted to hospital in an emergency increased by 48 percent between 2008-09 and 2012-13.

However, the report also indicated that many of these admissions could have been prevented, with 20 percent of admissions related to avoidable acute conditions such as disease of the urinary system, pneumonia and lower respiratory infections.

As such, it called for more proactive management of long-term conditions, earlier intervention for acute conditions to prevent more serious progression, and renewed initiatives to prevent slips, trips and falls.

John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said: "If emergencies can be prevented in a fifth of cases, it's crucial that we do what we can to make that happen."

Dementia is expected to become a more serious public health concern in the coming years than ever before, due to the ageing population.