Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made regarding the potential merits of adopting a new National Dementia Care Pathway which includes i) end of life care, and ii) clear minimum service standards.

The Government wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care.

Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia and frailty will benefit from improved care planning and better services.   We will deliver the first ever Frailty and Dementia MSF to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

The Frailty and Dementia MSF will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and frailty. It will support this by setting national standards for dementia and frailty care and redirecting NHS and adult social care priorities to provide the best possible care and support. In developing the Frailty and Dementia MSF, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia.