Health chiefs will decide this week whether to withdraw NHS drug treatment for people suffering Alzheimer's disease.

The proposal, outlined in a draft guidance document recently, provoked outrage amon carers of people suffering from the condition.

On Wednesday, the appraisal committtee of The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) will meet behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss the response to its proposals.

NICE has received more than 3,000 submissions opposing its plans to ban anti-dementia drugs Reminyl, Aricept and Exelonon being given on the NHS on the grounds they are not cost-effective.

Any outcome from this week's meeting is not likely to be made public before July.

Branch co-ordinator of Bradford Alzheimer's Society Ruth Gallagher said:

"We think it would be an absolute disaster if these drugs were stopped from being given to people by prescription. It would be unfair and unjust.

"It would be saying that the drugs work but are unaffordable so people who can afford it will be able to buy it and people who can't afford it cannot buy it, which is total inequality."

More than 5,000 people in the Bradford district suffer from dementia.

Mrs Gallagher said: "People in Bradford have been saying this is terrible.

''We have people who have been on some of these drugs for quite a long time and they know it makes a difference to their lives.

"If people do not have these drugs, the knock-on effect on social services will be huge but the main cost will be borne by people with dementia and their carers.''

She added: ''The drugs work for about 40 to 50 per cent of people. To deny people the chance of taking it is really bad."

If the draft guidance is adopted, people with Alzheimer's Disease who are on the drugs would continue to receive them on prescription but any new patients would be forced to pay for the drugs or go without.

A spokesman for NICE said: "There will not be an announcement next week. The committee will consider all the submissions they have had on the Alzheimer's drugs draft consultation.''

The spokesman added: ''Then there will be a re-drafting of the consultation before the responses and final appraisal draft consultation comes out."

The date for submissions to NICE has now closed but people are still being urged to write to their MPs to make their views known.