We all want a society where every person with dementia, their families and carers receive high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life. Timely diagnosis is vital to ensure that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care and support to maintain independence and quality of life for as long as possible.
You may be aware I helped care for my father for many years after he suffered a devastating brain injury so I do appreciate what a huge difference the right support can make to those individuals in need as well as to their families. That is why I pledged to take action to make dementia the political priority it needs to be. This pledge has not changed.
It is right that the aim should be for every patient to receive health and social care which is both timely and appropriate; in each case, different agencies working to connect health and social care services, especially in relation to those with complex and nursing care needs, such as those with dementia. I am encouraged by the progress that was made over recent years.
There are currently 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, so research is crucial to understanding the condition and improving outcomes for those affected.
The previous Conservative Government was committed to supporting research into dementia and launched the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission alongside £95 million of funding in 2022. I am sure that many people will join me in welcoming the licensing of a new medication, lecanemab, for adult patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first treatment to be licensed in this country that shows some evidence of slowing down the decline in memory and thinking skills of people living with early Alzheimer’s disease. While some patients will not be able to take lecanemab due to certain risks, I recognise that this new treatment marks an important step towards a more hopeful future.
I fully acknowledge that there is a huge amount of work still to be done and I hope the new Labour Government builds on the progress made in recent years to improve outcomes for people living with Alzheimer's and dementia.
You may also be interested in this statement: Social Care September 24
