SDLP Derry City and Strabane District Council Group Leader councillor Brian Tierney has said that people with dementia are being failed by the long waiting lists for a diagnosis.
He was speaking during Dementia Action Week after passing a motion calling on Health Minister Robin Swann to address waiting lists and to change the way types of dementia are recorded.
Councillor Tierney brought forward the motion at his last meeting as chair of the council’s Health and Communities Committee.
Said Cllr Tierney: “There are few families in our city or throughout the North who have not experienced a family member suffering from dementia.
“This is a cruel illness that robs people of not just their memory, but their sense of self and it can often be just as painful an experience for the loved ones of someone with dementia as the patient themselves.
“When someone is suffering from the early stages of dementia it can be a very worrying time for them and their families.
“An early health intervention is key to provide patients with support as soon as possible and to provide reassurance and confirmation to those around them.
“That’s why it’s very concerning that people are waiting so long for a diagnosis, which often leaves patients and their families feeling abandoned and hopeless.
“In some parts of the Western Trust people are waiting six years for an appointment. That clearly isn’t good enough.
“I am also concerned that we are not recording the types of dementia that people are diagnosed with, new dementia drugs are being developed all the time, with many currently awaiting approval and they are specific to dementia type.
“I welcome the committee’s support for my motion and I thought it was important to highlight this issue as part of Dementia Action Week and in my last act as committee chair.
“There are a large number of people living with dementia in this area and they and their carers need a voice to stand up for them.
“The committee will now write to the Health Minister outlining our concerns and I hope that he will take them on board and take steps to address these issues and ensure that those living with dementia get the treatment and support they need as soon as possible.”
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