Hertfordshire's Health Put at Risk by Osborne's Cuts to Health Spending - Dementia Strategy

The Coalition Government brought in some well needed reforms to the delivery of public health programmes and the provision of public health services. Public Health is now the responsibility of the principal local authorities, like Hertfordshire County Council. Money was taken from the NHS budget and given to these local authorities to finance their activities.

Dementia has now come to be recognised as not only an important Public Health issue but also an economic one. The total cost of dementia cannot, however be measured in monetary terms, as it can involve a great deal of distress to both sufferers and carers. The experience of the last 5 years has shown that early diagnosis and well-supported care and social and clinical management can reduce not only some of the financial costs but also make a very great difference in improving quality of life and wellbeing for both patients and carers.

in Hertfordshire it is estimated that there are about 14,000 people over the age of 65 with dementia and more than 300 with early onset dementia. The cost to society of this condition totals £26.3 billion at an averge of £32,250 per person.

£11.6 billion of this total (or about 42%) is estimated to be the contribution of unpaid carers. Healthcare costs come to £4.3 billion and the remaining £10.3 buillion represents the social care costs (both publically and privately funded). At the moment £90 million is spent across Hertfordshire on health and social care services for people with dementia.

Good progress was being made with the previous strategy "Living Well with Dementia" which ran from 2009 to 2014. Now an up-dated County Dementia Strategy has been produced covering the period 2015 to 2019. This strategy will be delivered jointly with Hertfordshire's two Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Evidence suggests that early diagnosis is important in maintaining the quality of life and self-esteem of dementia sufferes and helps carers to get earlier help and support. Unfortunately only 50% of dementia sufferers get a timely diagnosis at the moment.

The Dementia Strategy objectives are:

• to enable equal, timely access to diagnosis and support
• to promote health and wellbeing
• to develop dementia-friendly communities
• to support the carers for people with dementia
• to reduce attendance at A&E due to alcohol-related violence and accidents
• to prevent and respond to crises

However, this good start and promise of improvement is now put at risk by the Conservative Government's announcement of a £200 million cut in public health funding - an average 7.4% cut for each authority and a £3 million cut for Hertfordshire.

In addition the number of people in Hertfordshire is rising and expected to reach 15,000 by 2021. A double-whammy.

HS2 is not going to be cut - but health budgets in Hertfordshire will be, at the expense of increased disease and unhappiness.

The Conservative's response? "Cutting spending was an election commitment - and we've been voted in with a mandate to do it!" Is this what you wanted when you voted?