Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about dementia care.

Dementia is a priority for the Government, who remain committed to delivering the Challenge on Dementia 2020 that was launched in 2015. This sets out the vision for dementia care, support, awareness, and research to be transformed by 2020.

In March 2016, the Government published an Implementation Plan to support the 2020 Challenge which has been co-produced with key partners across the health and care sectors. Alongside this, a joint declaration has been published setting out an ambition to improve the quality of post-diagnostic care.

Progress in the care, support and treatment of people with dementia has been made, with more people receiving a diagnosis of dementia than ever before.

Over 660,000 NHS staff have received dementia training with further training opportunities rolled out to all NHS staff by the end of 2018. Over 100,000 social care workers have received some form of dementia awareness training.

I believe it is important to increase public awareness of dementia and I am encouraged that there are over 1.7 million Dementia Friends and 175 Dementia Friendly Communities in England.

Research is crucial to understanding and tackling dementia and the Government has doubled research spending on dementia. This will be maintained to total over £300 million by 2020, with the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute receiving £150 million.

The Government is integrating and improving health and social care to protect people at every stage of their lives, with an additional £10 billion of NHS investment in real terms by 2020/21 compared to 2014/15. Local authorities will be given greater powers so they can raise up to £2 billion revenue for adult social care, supported by an extra £1.5 billion investment and an improved Better Care Fund.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

EDWARD LEIGH MP