Cameron to tackle dementia research ‘scandal’

The Prime Minister will declare that tackling the “national crisis” posed by the disease is one of his personal priorities.

He will brand it a “scandal” that the UK has not done more to address dementia, which is thought to affect 670,000 people although about 400,000 have not been diagnosed. The cost to UK society is estimated at £23bn.

Over the next decade, the number with the disease is expected to rise to one million amid growing concerns repeated failures to reform social care is already severely damaging care.

Mr Cameron will set out plans for new research into cures and treatments and to ensure health and social care systems are equipped to deal with the problem.

Overall funding for dementia research is to reach £66m by 2015, from £26.6m 2010, although it will still be only a fraction of research cash for a range of other illnesses.

“One of the greatest challenges of our time is what I’d call the quiet crisis, one that steals lives and tears at the hearts of families, but that relative to its impact is hardly acknowledged,” the Prime Minister will say.

“Dementia is simply a terrible disease. And it is a scandal that we as a country haven’t kept pace with it. The level of diagnosis, understanding and awareness of dementia is shockingly low. It is as though we’ve been in collective denial.”

The Prime Minister will say that the costs associated with the disease are already higher than those for cancer, heart disease or stroke.

“So my argument today is that we’ve got to treat this like the national crisis it is. We need an all-out fight-back against this disease; one that cuts across society,” he will say.

“We did it with cancer in the 70s. With HIV in the 80s and 90s. We fought the stigma, stepped up to the challenge and made massive in-roads into fighting these killers.

“Now we’ve got to do the same with dementia. This is a personal priority of mine, and it’s got an ambition to match.

“That ambition: nothing less than for Britain to be a world leader in dementia research and care.”

Shirley Cramer, acting chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “David Cameron’s announcements are a turning point in our battle to defeat dementia.

“Of course, investment must continue to increase if we are to avert the drastic economic costs of dementia that lie in wait.”

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Doubling funding for research, tackling diagnosis and calling for a radical shift in the way we talk, think and act on dementia will help to transform lives.

“There are currently 800,000 people with dementia yet too many are not able to live well with the condition.”

Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, said: “Rising to this challenge will require excellence in medical research so we can better understand the biology of dementia and use that insight to improve diagnosis and treatment.

“The dementia challenge, however, will not be resolved by the natural sciences alone. It will also require progress in social care, so that patients can be helped to live at home for longer and so that relatives who care for their loved ones receive the support they need.”

But town hall leaders are warning there is already a “very real crisis” in the provision of care for the elderly and vulnerable.

David Rogers, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “Without fundamental reform and sufficient funding we risk losing the public’s trust and confidence in our ability to do the best for people in later life.

“We now need politicians to transcend political point-scoring and wake up to the ticking demographic time bomb this country is facing. There needs to be urgent action to ensure the way we offer support to older people is fairer, simpler and fit for purpose in order to truly meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society.”