NHS: Dementia Treatment Trials

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Monday 22nd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Encouraging people to age well and healthily is indeed part of our whole drive in terms of prevention and moving away from sickness. As part of this, it is absolutely crucial that we have the NIHR and UKRI, which are the relevant arms of our health service where we are investing in that dementia research. Causes, diagnostics and prevention in order to get treatment, care and support, as the noble Baroness says, are absolutely crucial. I would include carers in that too.

[Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)]

My Lords, while accepting the importance of early diagnosis and the improvements that are being made, does my noble friend agree that families—and she has mentioned carers—are often reluctant to seek a diagnosis? They think that these are only small symptoms of confusion and do not want to go for the full diagnosis on dementia. Would the public awareness campaign, mentioned from the other Benches, also include encouragement to families and carers to seek that diagnosis?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My noble friend is right: we want to encourage people to come forward for diagnosis and care. On the point that my noble friend and the noble Baroness, Lady Pidgeon, made about an awareness campaign, I will raise that with the Minister for Care.