Soaring numbers of dementia sufferers will cost the Kirklees economy an extra £29m in 2020.

That’s the prediction from local health experts who have anticipated a 20% rise in the number of people with dementia within five years.

People with the debilitating brain condition – estimated to be 4,600 – cost the economy £148.4m last year.

But that figure is expected to rise to £177.6m in 2020 as Kirklees’ population with the disease reaches 5,500.

Of that money, £81.6m will need to be spent on carers while £59m will be needed for social care and accommodation.

The remainder comprises healthcare costs and lost productivity.

A report presented to Kirklees health chiefs warned of the financial implications for Kirklees Council and local health authorities.

Kirklees Council
Kirklees Council

Report author Sandra Croft said: “Notably for Kirklees, this equates to a potential increase in expenditure of £5m-plus per year in publicly funded social care plus £1m-plus in health care costs.”

The Government estimates that one dementia sufferer costs the UK economy £32,250.

Kirklees Council currently spends approximately 40% of its older people’s budget (approximately £16m) on specialist dementia services.

And with the borough’s population living longer, an estimated 7,500 dementia patients will cost the economy £241.9m in 2030.

Ms Croft said: “The Prime Minister, in launching his Dementia Challenge, described it as “a national crisis”.

“Currently there are around 4,800 individuals living in Kirklees who are estimated to have dementia, this figure is expected to increase to more than 7,500 by 2030.”

What is dementia?

Dementia is a category of brain diseases that cause a long term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember.

It is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of some cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

It is estimated that there are currently some 560,000 people in the England with dementia.

An ageing population means numbers of people with dementia are set to rise to over 750,000 in England by 2020.

Direct costs of dementia to the NHS are approximately £3.3 billion per year – but the overall annual
economic burden is estimated to be £14.3 bn per year.

Kirklees Council and Greater Huddersfield and North Kirklees CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups), which control the borough’s NHS budget, said they had drafted an action plan with a ‘strong focus’ on diagnosing dementia early.

The plan includes providing information about the symptoms of dementia and the services available, as well as providing support for carers of people with dementia.

The plan also includes providing more suitable healthcare facilities and accommodation for sufferers under the ‘Dementia Friends’ scheme.

A joint statement said: “(We) recognise the serious challenges that our ageing population brings and are committed to the delivery of the Kirklees joint dementia strategy over the next five years.

“Working together we are developing a comprehensive action plan to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their families and to make sure that people receive the support they need at the right time.”

For more information about the range of support and advice that is available visit: www.kirklees.gov.uk/dementia