More than 60 members of Parliament have sent a letter to Andy Burnham, urging the establishment of an 18-week target for diagnosing dementia within the National Health Service (NHS). The call aims to align dementia care with the diagnostic timelines already in place for conditions such as cancer and heart disease, which are identified as significant killers.
Currently, the NHS mandates strict timeframes for diagnosing cancer and heart disease. However, no comparable target exists for dementia, a condition responsible for an estimated 76,000 deaths annually in the UK, making it the country's leading cause of mortality. Official figures indicate that one-third of individuals living with dementia in England lack a formal diagnosis, with the remaining patients experiencing an average wait of three and a half years for confirmation.
The time from referral to a memory clinic by a general practitioner to receiving a diagnosis has increased by nearly 70% since 2019, rising from 13 weeks to 22 weeks. This growing delay is a key concern for the cross-party group of MPs, which includes former secretaries of state.
In their letter, the MPs express concern that a failure to act would send a "wrong signal." They highlight that the upcoming Modern Service Framework for Dementia and Frailty (MSF) presents an opportune moment to implement a universal diagnosis target. They note that while progress has been made in reducing elective care waiting times to meet the government's 92% completion rate within 18 weeks for referral-to-treatment pathways, dementia services lack a similar benchmark.
Alzheimer's Society Chief Executive Michelle Dyson has cautioned that the MSF "is not going to be worth the paper it is written on" if an 18-week diagnosis target is omitted. Dyson, who previously served as a senior official at the Department of Health and Social Care, stated that the framework, intended as a ten-year plan to transform care for the UK's one million dementia patients, has lost her confidence due to seemingly low ambition. She has also accused the NHS of treating dementia patients as "second-class citizens" who are often sent home with minimal support.
The letter to Burnham was coordinated by Conservative MP Joe Robertson, a member of the Commons health and social care committee and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party group for dementia. Signatories include committee chairs Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Bob Blackman, and Layla Moran, along with former Secretaries of State Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Andrew Mitchell, Dame Karen Bradley, and Kit Malthouse.
The Daily Mail and Alzheimer's Society have partnered on a campaign, "Defeating Dementia," aimed at increasing awareness, promoting early diagnosis, supporting research, and improving care for those affected by the disease.
The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the "devastating impact" of dementia on individuals and their families, stating a commitment to ensuring "high-quality, personalised support" for everyone affected.