Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment of the adequacy of the provision of treatment for dementia.

In the case of most progressive dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, there is no cure and no treatment that slows or stops its progression. However there are drug treatments that may temporarily improve symptoms.

NHS England has published an evidence-based treatment pathway for dementia to improve access to services, timely diagnosis and receipt of post diagnostic support.

In addition the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published the clinical guideline, ‘Dementia: supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care.’ This guideline covers preventing, diagnosing, assessing and managing dementia in health and social care, and includes recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease. It aims to improve care for people with dementia by promoting accurate diagnosis and the most effective interventions, and improving the organisation of services.

Commissioners are expected to commission services for their populations in line with the current clinical guidelines such as those produced by NICE.