Confirmed dementia cases in England have soared by 62 per cent in the last seven years, Government figures reveal. The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) statistics show that the number of recorded diagnoses of dementia rose from 213,000 in 2006-07 to 319,000 in 2012-13. The rise is thought to be due to various factors, including the ageing population, an increase in the number of people being diagnosed and improved diagnosis recordings.

Regionally, the highest proportion of people with dementia was recorded in the Isle of Wight, while Tower Hamlets had the lowest level. The news coincides with the creation of a new qualification from the Alzheimer’s Society and the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) to increase people’s understanding of dementia. The Level 2 Award in Understanding Dementia will take a ‘person focused approach’, and is particularly suitable for those who have signed up to the Dementia Friends initiative.