Dementia patients and carers in Scotland facing a postcode lottery when it comes to access to support

Published: 15:43 EST, 15 November 2026 | Updated: 15:55 EST, 15 November 2026 Demential patients and their carers in Scotland are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to access to support, a leading charity has warned.Alzheimer Scotland says there is ‘significant inequality’ in the way dementia care varies according to region.The charity’s chief executive, Henry Simmons, spoke out amid the Daily Mail’s Dementia Carers Together initiative, which aims to deliver nationwide courses to support relatives of those with the condition.He said: ‘The gap between what a government says they want to do for dementia care, and what local authorities and health partnerships are then asked to do, is quite wide.‘There are vast differences in service delivery.’As part of Scotland’s Local Delivery Plan standard, every person with dementia should receive one year of support following diagnosis. Alzheimer Scotland's chief executive Henry Simmons says cuts to services will make carers isolatedBut while health boards in the Western Isles and Orkney met the target in 2023/24, only 47.6 per cent of referrals received the help due in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, according to the latest figures from Public Health Scotland.Mr Simmons said the lack of consistency means ‘many people will start their time living with dementia on the back foot without the right level of care’.He added: ‘If you get it right, it costs no more than £1,500 per person for a year.’ Alzheimer Scotland is calling for the SNP government to implement a national standard of care that guarantees help through every stage and details what each person should receive.Mr Simmons said: ‘Each local health and social care partnership should be asked to use that blueprint to design local services so that everyone gets the same access to services including day care, respite for carers, and assistance in modifying homes.’A survey by Alzheimer Scotland found that 75 per cent of participants believed dementia care is not equal for all, while 58 per cent said it was not easy to find out what services were available in their local area. Just 56 per cent said they were offered a named support worker after diagnosis, and some people waited up to 14 months for post-diagnostic help.Mr Simmons said: ‘The lack of specialist support means people accelerate very quickly towards needing greater care.’ He added that the situation is worsening as local care services are cut.Last month, Glasgow City Council decided to close more than half its senior day care centres which provide care for those with dementia and other health issues.Mr Simmons claims this could increase the number of dementia patients admitted to residential care, which can bring huge costs to families and involves travelling significant distances for those in rural areas. He said: ‘So you have a postcode lottery in long-term care, a postcode lottery in mid-stage care for day services and a postcode lottery at the point of diagnosis.’The charity boss added that with cuts, carer duties ‘become 24/7’ as they are ‘propping up the whole health and social care system’.And without sufficient help they will ‘feel isolated and become unwell themselves because the pressure of caring becomes so great towards the later stages’.A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to improving outcomes for people living with dementia, their families and carers, through delivery of Scotland’s 10-year Dementia Strategy. 'A key goal is to improve delivery of post-diagnosis support.’