Dementia and Alzheimer's disease were the cause of more than a tenth of the registered deaths in England and Wales last year, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics found the diseases were responsible for 541,589 deaths in 2018.
Campaigners are calling for the Government to set up a dedicated NHS Dementia Fund to help tackle the condition.
Sally Copley, director of Policy and Campaigns at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘For four years now, we’ve seen deaths caused by dementia increase. We need to take action now to tackle the biggest health crisis of our time. One person develops dementia in the UK every three minutes and there are still far too many facing a future alone, without adequate support.
‘There has never been a more urgent need for the Government, the NHS, the research community and society to unite with us against this devastating condition. We are working hard to make sure everyone can live well with dementia today and find a cure for the future, but we need the Government to prioritise dementia with a dedicated NHS Dementia Fund and invest in a plan for long term social care reform.’
