Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Graham Allen

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer). We must urgently tackle the variation in dementia diagnosis rates. In the end, the litmus test of whether we are able to cope with an ageing population in the NHS will be how we deal with dementia, which now affects one in three people over the age of 65. There is still a lot of misunderstanding about the impact that a good diagnosis and care plan can have, and for the sake of my hon. Friend’s constituents and everyone else, this is an area in which we need to make urgent change.

[Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North) (Lab)]

9. If his Department will make early intervention a priority for clinical commissioning groups and public health officers.