Failure to establish new systems for helping dementia sufferers threatens to burden care homes and hospitals with longer patient stays, the Alzheimer's Society has claimed.

Speaking on the day the Royal Society of Psychiatrist's published the first ever National Audit of Dementia, head of policy Andrew Chidgey said: 'Unless we get this new system in place and help people before their needs get worse, we are going to see more people in hospital or care homes far too early.'