ANYONE who saw the Panorama programme recently will have been horrified at the discrimination faced by people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia who are being denied access to healthcare.
The care needs of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias are the result of a physical disease of the brain for which there is currently no cure.
When someone cannot eat, wash, dress or use the toilet unaided because of a serious medical condition the NHS should step in and provide support, as it does for people with other serious conditions.
Families are still being forced to pay for care, which should be available to them, free.
It must surely be one of the clearest examples of discrimination in the NHS.
The reports of the health service ombudsman have highlighted the appalling discrimination people with dementia and their carers face when applying for fully-funded NHS care.
For thousands of people the process remains highly confusing and complex.
It is a bureaucratic nightmare, yet the government continues to claim that the system is easy to understand. This is despite repeated calls from the Health Ombudsman for clearer guidance.
I strongly support the Alzheimer's Society in its campaign for better access to NHS continuing care; care that for people in the later stages of dementia is vital for survival and quality of life. I urge others to do the same.
P HODGES
Hilperton
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