DEMENTIA is going undiagnosed on a massive scale across Wokingham borough because GPs are failing to spot the symptoms, a health chief has warned.

Doctors have come under the spotlight after figures released by the Department of Health last week showed Wokingham borough has a dementia diagnosis rate of just 46.5% - the lowest in Berkshire.

From January Wokingham Borough Council has vowed to pair GP surgeries with high diagnosis rates and under performing ones in a bid to boost the results.

The council’s health boss, Cllr Julian McGhee-Sumner, said: “The figures are disappointing, we want this to improve and it’s something we are concerned about. Some GPs are good at signposting dementia, some aren’t, so we are making sure all GPs are up to diagnosing dementia as quickly and accurately as possible.

“We have some practices which are better and quicker at diagnosing than others. We need to do more for those that aren’t doing as well. We have recognised there’s an issue and this is what we are doing about it.”

The statistics, which relate to the year 2012-13, show Wokingham is lagging well behind diagnosis rates in other parts of the county, with Reading recording the highest on 53.7% and West Berkshire on 48.01%. Next year a National Dementia Action Alliance group will be set up in Wokingham, working with the council to draw more attention to dementia.

Linda Barnes, Alzheimer’s Society manager for Berkshire, said: “It’s a concern that we have areas of low diagnosis. We would like to see improvements in this. What we have to realise is that GPs have to know lots about everything, so it’s about supporting them in this. Getting an early diagnosis opens to the door to treatments, people can get access to services they need to get hold of.”

Vicki Matthews, mental health service development manager for Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, added: “In 2012/13 our memory clinic in Wokingham received 444 referrals from GPs – the highest number of referrals out of the six memory clinics we run in Berkshire.

“In the past year, 252 people in Wokingham have been diagnosed with dementia, however many people referred to the clinic are diagnosed with

mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

“This shows us that people in Wokingham are visiting their GP if they are concerned about their memory. Identifying MCI is important because people with this condition are more at risk of developing dementia in the future.”

If you are concerned that or someone else has dementia, see www.alzheimers.org.uk or speak to your GP.