Dementia drugs to be limited on NHS

2:45pm Wednesday 8th February 2006

Enfield residents suffering with the early or latter stages of dementia have been told they cannot have access to drugs on the NHS to improve their condition.

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) which decides which medication should be available on the NHS has stated the drugs only proved cost-effective if they were prescribed to people with moderate Alzheimer's.

Campaign groups which want the drugs made available to patients in all stages of the disease said they were dismayed by the decision.

President of the Enfield Alzheimer's Society, Jacqui Wharrad, said: "Can you imagine the effect on a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and then being told they were not bad enough to be prescribed treatment?

"What other condition is treated in this way? Can you imagine someone with cancer being told to go away and let their condition deteriorate before being treated?"

Around 3,800 people living in Enfield suffer from some form of dementia, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

NICE had proposed a blanket ban on the prescription of dementia drugs because it was not convinced the treatment was effective.

But the health body relented, publishing its draft guidance last week following a vociferous campaign by drugs companies, carers and patients.

The U-turn will mean around 40 per cent of people with dementia can access treatment.

Mrs Wharrad added: "The Government is in favour of prevention and enabling people to live independently. The latest proposal by NICE for the prescribing of drugs completely ignores both these issues.

"NICE also says that Ebixa cannot be prescribed for the treatment of people in the later stages of Alzheimer's. Both of these decisions are outrageous because they are denying drugs to people who may benefit."

Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said: "We needed to make the right decision based on available evidence. By asking the drug companies to delve deeper into their clinical trial data, we have been able to identify the right way to use these medicines."