A new Prime Minister, a new chance to fix dementia care
Andy Burnham enters Downing Street with a longstanding commitment to social care reform and has spoken openly about his family’s experience of dementia.
That understanding matters. But people affected by dementia need more than recognition of the problem or another promise of reform. They need a government ready to deliver lasting change.
Andy Burnham has been clear that he is prepared to spend ‘a lot of political capital’ on fixing social care reform.
The new Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, will be responsible for delivering this change. She has been given a strong mandate for reforming social care, and we expect more details of this in the coming weeks. Dementia must be at the heart of these reforms.
Dementia is a defining health and care challenge
The scale of the challenge is clear:
- Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK. This is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
- Dementia cost the UK an estimated £42 billion in 2024. People living with dementia and their families carried 63% of that cost.
- Without action, the total could reach £90 billion by 2040.
But this is not only about numbers.
Too often, people living with dementia and their families are left to navigate a broken system without knowing where to turn or how to get help. Many are left exhausted and overwhelmed, pushed to their emotional, physical and financial limits.
In our recent survey of carers and people with dementia, 42% said they experienced hospital admission due to increasing support needs, with only 9% saying support was provided early, before problems became more serious.
People living with dementia and their families often do not receiving timely, compassionate and coordinated palliative and end of life care, our recent research found that only 14% had an advance care plan in place.
Success cannot be measured solely by freeing up hospital beds or reducing pressure on emergency services. It must be measured by whether people affected by dementia can live with dignity, independence and the right support.
From ambition to action
Andy Burnham has repeatedly made the case for a National Care Service and for health and social care to work more closely together. The new Prime Minister has spoken about his desire for social care to operate on an ‘NHS principle’.
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he placed greater emphasis on integrating services, preventing ill health and providing more support within communities.
These are welcome ambitions. But the real test will be whether his government can translate them into visible improvements in the lives of people affected by dementia.
Three tests for a new government
With the government’s Modern Service Framework for Dementia and Frailty and the Casey Commission on social care reform making progress, the Prime Minister and his government must take bold and ambitious action on dementia.
Meaningful health and care reform should deliver 3 things:
- Coordinated care backed by specialist dementia expertise. People should have a named professional to help them navigate health, social care and community services, and access to dementia specialists as their needs become more complex.
- Proactive support from diagnosis to end of life. A diagnosis should mark the start of meaningful support. People should receive timely information, regular reviews and help to plan ahead, before they reach crisis.
- Families and unpaid carers supported in their own right. Carers need practical and emotional support to protect their own health and wellbeing. They should not be left to navigate fragmented services or fill gaps in care alone.
The first decisions matter
The new government’s early decisions will show how quickly ambition is likely to become action.
These decisions must be followed by a clear and funded plan.
Behind every promise are one million people living with dementia and the families who support them. The true test of this government will be whether fewer families are left to struggle alone, fewer people reach crisis without support, and everyone affected by dementia can access the expertise and care they need.
We stand ready to work with the new Prime Minister and his government to turn ambition into lasting change.
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Join Dementia UK’s campaign network and together, we can ensure that every family affected by dementia receives the life-changing support they deserve.