Dementia Care in England Faces Calls for National Waiting-Time Target

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing calls to establish a national waiting-time target for dementia care in England, a move proposed by the Alzheimer's Society and supported by prominent figures in healthcare and social care.

The proposal suggests an 18-week referral-to-treatment target, a standard already in place for cancer diagnosis and treatment within the NHS. This initiative has garnered backing from Professor Sir Mike Richards, former national cancer director, and Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading a significant review of adult social care.

A 'Cancer-Style Revolution' for Dementia Care

A report by the Alzheimer's Society and The King's Fund asserts that dementia care requires a "cancer-style revolution" to modernize services, which the authors describe as "stuck in the 20th century." Social Care Minister Alison McGovern has expressed support for the report's findings, stating that dementia has been "neglected for far too long."

"Nowhere is this division between health and social care felt more sharply than by people living with dementia and their families, too often left to navigate a shattered system at the most difficult time in their lives," McGovern said at an Alzheimer's Society conference. The government has pledged to appoint a dedicated official, a "dementia tsar," with expertise to oversee dementia care and intends to publish a new service framework by year's end to expedite support for individuals with the disease.

Currently, England lacks a specific waiting-time target for dementia, a disparity highlighted by the existing NHS targets for cancer care. Professor Richards, who was instrumental in implementing cancer targets in 2000, believes an 18-week target for dementia is achievable, though it would necessitate "political initiative" and additional funding.

"All of that is going to cost more money but remember the toll that this condition is taking at the moment, both on the people affected by dementia themselves and their relatives," Professor Richards noted.

Parallels with Cancer Care and Social Care Reform

Baroness Casey has also advocated for placing dementia on a "level playing field with other conditions" by setting national standards, including the 18-week target. In a letter to former Health Secretary Wes Streeting in March, she suggested emulating the approach taken with cancer care. Speaking to the BBC, Baroness Casey remarked, "I think the National Health Service and more generally all of us have stuck our heads in the sand about it, and it's time we started saying, yes, we should have a similar mission, and we should do as much as we possibly can on dementia, and now."

Baroness Casey is scheduled to release her recommendations on social care reform next summer. The urgency for such reforms is underscored by the current prevalence of dementia in the UK, with approximately one million people living with the condition, a figure projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

Prime Minister Burnham recently returned to public duties after taking compassionate leave following the death of his father, Roy, who had Alzheimer's disease. He has stated that his father's experience influenced his drive to reform adult social care and that he will await Baroness Casey's recommendations before finalizing any changes to social care funding and structure.