Readers' letters: End the dementia postcode lottery

What planet is he on?

​In his latest weekly “see what I am doing for you people“ letter to the Free Press MP Nick Fletcher complains that Doncaster Council have proposed that the ceremonial Mayor cuts his functions by 50 per cent thus saving £5,000.

Just what planet is he living on?

Councils everywhere are having to save whatever they can wherever they can and his Tory party are the prime reason for this.

Their friends the bankers caused the 2008 financial crash (not the Labour government) which led to the Tory government giving us ten years of needless austerity.

In November 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond admitted “austerity was a political choice not an economic necessity.“

So totally needless and how most of us have suffered since.

Andrew Miller

Via email.

End the postcode lottery

Right now, too many people are waiting too long to get an accurate dementia diagnosis.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, dementia diagnosis rates have fallen significantly and failed to rise back up.

More than 30,000 additional people are waiting for a diagnosis now compared to pre-pandemic levels, with many left to cope alone. Diagnosis can be daunting but it’s better to know - nine in 10 people with dementia said they benefitted from getting a diagnosis, allowing more time to plan for the future and unlocking the door to treatment, care and support.  

This is why an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia, supported by Alzheimer’s Society, is carrying out a survey to better understand the barriers to diagnosis. We are calling on people with dementia and their carers, as well as academics and health and social care professionals from Doncaster to share their experiences of diagnosis before the survey closes on 3 March. To complete the survey visit alzheimers.org.uk/APPG

As the Government presses ahead with its Levelling Up agenda, we are keen to gather as much evidence as possible for this important piece of work to ensure everyone can access a timely and accurate dementia diagnosis regardless of where they live.

We must end the current postcode lottery of dementia diagnosis, because the sooner people with dementia get an accurate diagnosis, the sooner they can access the support they need.

Michael WhiteAlzheimer’s Society Area Manager

South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Stop disease

Laying hen farmers across Yorkshire and most of the UK have had to bring their birds indoors due to bird flu in order to stop the spread of disease.

This has been one of the worst outbreaks of Avian Influenza (AI) the UK has ever seen with sadly many birds becoming ill and dying, a nationwide housing order being imposed, and egg shortages leading to imported eggs on supermarket shelves from potentially lower welfare farms.

Reassuringly, whether barn or free-range, all hens on RSPCA Assured farms are still cared for to higher welfare standards. They are also 100% cage-free and the birds are given plenty of enrichment, such as perches and areas to dust bathe. Some farmers even give them objects like CDs on strings, cardboard boxes and xylophones.

It’s very easy to make a big difference to the welfare of hens by only choosing eggs with a higher welfare label.

Kate Quilton, RSPCA Assured