Prescriptions for dementia almost double in last decade
The number of drugs prescribed to dementia patients has almost doubled since the start of the decade, according to new figures.
People with dementia were given 270,000 prescriptions last year, up from 136,000 in 2010-11.
An estimated 90,000 people in Scotland have the disease, which causes mental deterioration and symptoms that can include memory loss and speech problems.
Scottish Conservative mental health spokeswoman Annie Wells said more needs to be done to ensure patients are receiving sufficient care, adding the prescription figures show "the scale of the challenge facing the NHS".
"These are vulnerable people who need and deserve the highest standard of care," she said.
"But the SNP's negligence of the NHS means wards are short-staffed and the health service is completely ill-equipped to deal with these increasing cases.
"Ministers have been warned for years about the impact of an ageing population and have refused to listen.
"If the Nationalists don't act now, the well-being of thousands upon thousands of dementia patients will be at risk."
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Dementia care is a priority - we have published three national dementia strategies and a fourth will be developed next year. These are aimed at supporting good quality care for all stages of the illness.
"The Scottish Government's estimated annual spend on dementia care for 2018-19 is #370 million for healthcare and ÂŁ1.1 billion for social care. In 2014, the figures were ÂŁ340 million for healthcare and ÂŁ0.73 billion for social care. The increase is mainly down to more people having dementia. Clearly, prescribing numbers also rise with increasing prevalence and with more and better diagnosis and assessment.
"Through integration of health and social care, significant work and investment has gone into supporting older people, including those with dementia, to live well in their own home or in a homely setting.
"We have a national approach to training and developing the dementia workforce across health, social services and housing, including the national Dementia Champions programme in acute care. We also co-fund dementia nurse consultants across health boards."
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