Calls for Dementia Care Time Targets Intensify for PM Burnham
UK PM urged to set dementia care waiting-time targets, echoing cancer care reforms, as experts highlight urgent needs.
Demands Increase for Dementia Care Reforms in England
Andy Burnham, the UK’s Prime Minister, is under growing pressure to establish a national benchmark for waiting times in dementia care, echoing the standards set in cancer treatment decades ago. This push is spearheaded by the Alzheimer’s Society, whose recent proposal advocates for an 18-week waiting time from referral to treatment, garnering support from influential figures in health policy.
Former national cancer director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, and Baroness Louise Casey, overseeing a revamp of adult social care, back the proposal. Their arguments center around creating a “cancer-style revolution” in dementia care. This movement aims to modernize services, shedding light on the antiquated state of dementia support.
At a conference hosted by the Alzheimer’s Society, Social Care Minister Alison McGovern endorsed these findings and emphasized the systemic neglect of dementia patients. As she highlighted the cumbersome burden borne by families, the minister conveyed the urgent need for integration between health and social frameworks.
Plans for System Overhaul
The government plans to appoint a high-ranking official, dubbed a “dementia tsar,” tasked with speeding up the support process for dementia patients by year-end. Despite comparisons to the rigor seen in cancer care with NHS targets, dementia lacks similar urgency in treatment timelines. Richards, instrumental in setting cancer care targets in 2000, believes a dementia care target is feasible, contingent on political and financial commitment.
Baroness Casey has voiced strong support for the proposed timetable, emphasizing the need to elevate dementia care to the level afforded to cancer. She argues it is time for a mission-focused approach to ensure the NHS and society adequately tackle the challenges posed by dementia.
Personal Ties to the Cause
This issue resonates deeply with Burnham at a personal level. He recently mourned the passing of his father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and expressed his intention to channel this personal loss into driving social care reform. He plans to consider the forthcoming recommendations from Baroness Casey before implementing changes in the sector.
With an estimated million people currently affected by dementia in the UK, rising to an anticipated 1.4 million by 2040, the call for reform is urgent. This demographic shift underscores the critical need for transformational changes similar to those seen in cancer care, to better support those with dementia and their families.
Photo by Sean Martin on Unsplash
