Strictly’s Arlene Phillips ‘devastated’ as she makes heartbreaking dementia statement

Arlene Phillips, a former Strictly Come Dancing judge, has shared her deep disappointment over a recent decision by NHS England.

As an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, she took to social media to express her frustration after learning that dementia diagnosis has been removed from NHS England’s planning guidance.

She called the decision devastating, saying it makes it seem like dementia doesn’t matter, even though nearly one million people in the UK are living with the condition.

Many people responded to her post, agreeing with her concerns. Some called the decision heartbreaking, while others were shocked and upset, questioning how something like this could happen. One person shared how their mother had Alzheimer’s after their father died, adding that they felt the government does not care about people affected by the disease.

This news comes at a time when two new Alzheimer’s drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, have been approved in the UK. These drugs have been shown to slow down the progression of the disease, but unfortunately, they are too expensive for the NHS to provide.

Clinical trials showed that lecanemab could slow the decline in patients by four to six months, while donanemab had a similar effect, delaying the progression by four to seven months. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decided that the benefits of these drugs are not significant enough to justify the high cost.

The situation has left many people frustrated, especially families who are already struggling to support loved ones with dementia. Arlene Phillips’ post has sparked an emotional reaction, with many calling for dementia to be made a higher priority in healthcare planning.