Thank you for contacting me about research and treatment for dementia.
An estimated 1 million people will be living with dementia by 2025, so research is crucial to understanding the condition and improving outcomes for those affected.
I was proud to stand on a manifesto that identified finding a cure for dementia as one of the Government's biggest priorities, which has been reflected in the development of the new 10-Year Plan for Dementia. It was positive to see the Government re-committing to publishing the 10-Year Plan later this year at this year’s Alzheimer’s Society Conference.
The 10-Year Plan will focus on how new technology can be used to improve outcomes for dementia patients across the country. This will include exploring ways of building on the Government’s £375 million investment over the next five years, to improve understanding and treatment for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including different types of dementia.
The 2021 Spending Review also saw £5 billion committed to health-related research and development and I understand that work is ongoing to identify ways to boost research on dementia significantly.
Due to the impact of the pandemic, the estimated dementia diagnosis rate fell below the national target for the first time since 2016.
While the rate has recovered slightly since the early part of the pandemic, there is more to do if we are to reach the national target for two thirds of people with dementia to be formally diagnosed.
Last year, £17 million was made available to Clinical Commissioning Groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses, which I hope will have an impact in our local area.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.