Andrew Pike
Head of Policy, Campaigns and Public Affairs, Dementia UK
The new health secretary has claimed the NHS is broken. Dementia care is the perfect place to start the job of fixing it.
When Wes Streeting arrived in Whitehall as the new Secretary of State for Health and Care, his first speech stated that “the NHS is broken.” For dementia care, we should ask whether our health and social care systems were ever truly working in the first place.
Dementia care remains inadequate
Despite incredible work by dedicated health and care professionals, including Dementia UK’s specialist dementia Admiral Nurses, people often miss out on vital care needed to manage dementia’s complex challenges.
The number of people living with dementia is set to exceed 1 million within the first year of this Government. With no cure and a lack of support in place, many will find themselves left to cope with the devastating effects of dementia alone. As our population ages, it will be the defining health and social care challenge of our time.
The number of people living with
dementia is set to exceed 1 million
within the first year of this Government.
Where to start in fixing dementia care
Despite some positive progress and well-intentioned announcements over the years, the wholesale strategic approach to dementia care required has slipped between the cracks of government agendas for too long. With enough political will, Dementia UK believes this parliament can be the one that fixes dementia care.
Whether addressing barriers to vital care funding, recognising that dementia is a complex condition that needs specialist support or supporting the one in four people in hospital beds who are living with dementia, we’ve worked with people affected by dementia and our specialist nurses to identify where to start:
- Improve support at the point of diagnosis by increasing access to vital health reviews and specialist dementia nurses.
- Review NHS continuing healthcare funding to recognise the impact of dementia as a complex and long-term condition.
- Increase the number of dementia specialist Admiral Nurses in hospital settings to improve health outcomes and reduce hospital stays for people with dementia.
- Create a new pathway of age-appropriate support for people living with young-onset dementia, where symptoms occur before the age of 65.
Moving dementia up the agenda
Streeting’s speech concluded with: “It will take time; we never pretended that the NHS could be fixed overnight.” We agree, however, the one in two of us who will be affected by dementia in our lifetime cannot afford to wait to take the first steps. The Government has a unique chance to transform dementia care. If they want to fix a broken NHS, dementia care is the perfect place to start.
