NEW figures show that the part of the region recorded the biggest increase in the prevalence of dementia last year.

The figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed that the number of people added to the dementia register in Durham, Darlington and Tees increased by 1,404 between 2012-13 and March 2014, taking the total from 7,931 to 9,335.

This meant that the prevalence of diagnosed dementia in the population of Durham, Darlington and Tees went up from 0.65 per cent of the local population of 1.2m people to 0.76 per cent, an increase of 0.11 per cent.

Darlington had the biggest increase in prevalence in the country between 2012-13 and March 2014 rising from 0.77 per cent to 0.92 per cent – a rise of 0.15 per cent.

Harrogate – which also saw an increase in prevalence of 0.11 per cent – also featured in the ten areas which saw the biggest increases in recorded dementia diagnoses. Harrogate, which has a relatively high proportion of older residents, had a prevalence of dementia cases which rose from 0.83 per cent to 0.94 per cent.

A spokesman for the HSCIC said 344,000 patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia in 2013-14 in England, which is a rise from 319,000 in 2012-13 and from 213,000 in 2006-07, when the data was first collected.

The statistics show the numbers of patients registered with GP practices in England who have a recorded diagnosis of dementia.

The report said the rise may be due to the ageing population, an increase in the number of people being diagnosed, improved recording of diagnoses or a combination of factors.

In general, the North and South of England had the highest prevalence – at 0.68 and 0.67 per cent, the Midlands and East of England had 0.62 per cent prevalence and London, with a generally younger population, a much lower prevalence of 0.38 per cent.

The highest prevalence of dementia in England was in the Isle of Wight, where 1.1 per cent were on the register and 46.4 per cent of all patients are aged 50 and over.

The area with the lowest recorded level was in Tower Hamlets in East London at 0.25 per cent – where just 15.5 per cent of patients are 50 or over.