Dementia Diagnosis, Treatment, and Research

The needs of people with dementia must move to the top of the agenda. We must prioritise research, because ultimately our goal must be to prevent, treat and cure this heart-breaking condition.

I support enhancing the UK science base to achieve 3% of GDP spent on science and research across the economy, between public and private sectors. In the meantime, the Government must keep its pledge to double research funding into dementia by 2024.

Breakthroughs in research – such as the drugs lecanemab and donanemab – offer hope for delaying symptom progression and slowing the loss of quality of life. But there are concerns about the ability of our health service to deliver any treatments that could be approved for clinical use.

Meanwhile, the Government has shelved its plan for a dedicated dementia strategy and is instead consulting on a wide-ranging Major Conditions Strategy. I recognise concerns raised by the Alzheimer’s Society that the distinct challenges of dementia may be lost within a broad strategy.

I support a plan to make it easier to conduct life-saving research in the UK with a more standardised process for clinical trials contracting and setup, alongside a strategy to make better use of clinical trials registries to make it easier for more patients to participate. I also believe me must train the staff that the NHS needs to support more clinical trials in the future.

Transforming dementia diagnosis and care is equally important. Yet despite repeated promises to fix social care, the Chancellor delayed reforms until October 2025 and instead asked councils to increase taxes on working people to plug funding gaps.

In my view, we need to put social care at the heart of a modernised welfare state as an essential part of our economic infrastructure. I support a long-term plan for reform of adult social care that will lead to a world-class National Care Service that makes people as proud as the NHS does: transforming access and making sure everyone with dementia who needs care and support can get it when and where they need it. This must start with improving standards in the current system as well as delivering better pay, terms and conditions for care workers.