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 it is crucial that the social care system is set up to meet the needs of those affected by dementia.
Every patient should receive health and social care which is both timely and appropriate. It is also important that, in each case, different agencies work to connect health and social care services, especially in relation to those with complex and nursing care needs, such as those with dementia.
Continuous healthcare (CHC) is a package of NHS-funded ongoing healthcare and social care for adults who have been assessed as having a primary health need, whereby the main aspects of the care they require are focused on addressing and/or preventing health needs. Eligibility for CHC is not determined by age, diagnosis, condition, or financial means. It is assessed on a case-by-case basis by a Multi-Disciplinary Team where the individual’s needs are considered holistically, including ways in which these needs and subsequent treatments interact.
In addition to this, the National Framework for CHC and NHS-funded Nursing Care sets out that assessments should follow a person-centred approach, which ensures the individual's needs are at the forefront of the assessment and care-planning process. The framework also states how important it is that those contributing to this process have the relevant skills and knowledge, and that where the patient has, for example, a learning disability, brain injury, or dementia, then someone with specialist knowledge of this client group is involved in the assessment. Dementia UK is in contact with the Minister of Health and Social Care about this important subject and the department is acting on the points they raise.
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. In 2021-22, £17 million was made available to Clinical Commissioning Groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses, which is having a strong impact in Mid Worcestershire. Thanks to the NHS’s efforts, the estimated dementia diagnosis rate has increased throughout 2023 and reached 64.5%.
We 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. This is why the social care workforce remains at the heart of the Government’s reform plans.
The Government also remains committed to further research into dementia, by doubling its funding for research to £160 million per year by 2024/25. A new task force formed by the industry, NHS, academia, and families affected by dementia leads the allocation of funding. In addition to this, the National Institute for Health and Care Research has also launched several new initiatives to support dementia research, such as investing nearly £11 million to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia.
Recently in March 2024, the Government announced that the husband of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, Scott Mitchell, has been named People’s Champion for the national Dementia Mission. The appointment comes alongside £6 million in funding to boost clinical trials and innovation, including work in Northern Ireland on how AI can be used to support dementia diagnosis, and research in Scotland looking at how ‘biomarkers’ found in blood can help detect the disease early.
Finally, the Government is working to publish the Major Conditions Strategy, covering six conditions, including dementia. Interventions set out in the strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the Government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health-related labour market inactivity. Whilst waiting for its publication, we will continue to engage with Dementia UK so that people with dementia can access support and advice where necessary.
