The government of the United Kingdom is planning to double funding for research in the field of treating dementia by 2015.

Prime Minister David Cameron described dementia as a scandal that is being ignored by people. He said the government has planned to increase funding from `£26 million at the end of the last parliament to over £66 million at the end of this one' in the year 2015.

He also said that the there will be £54 million of additional funding over the normal tariff aimed at encouraging hospitals to better manage the disease. About a forth of all patients admitted to hospitals are suffering from the disease.

Health experts say that the country spends £ 19 billion in treating dementia patients every year, a figure that is higher than that of treating cancer, heart disease or stroke sufferers. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease and most people who suffer from the disease are over the age of 55 in the UK.

Only about a quarter of the people with the illness are diagnosed and the Prime Minister is aiming to bring down the number of people who are not diagnosed and are thus nor receiving any treatment.