Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people living with Alzheimer's in Knowsley constituency; and what plans his Department has to improve dementia (a) diagnosis and (b) care for those people.

According to data from the Alzheimer’s Society, Knowsley’s prevalence of people living with dementia currently stands at 2,200, with a diagnosis rate of approximately 64%. There are thought to be 982,000 living with dementia in the United Kingdom.

Those suspected of living with dementia are referred into the Later Life and Memory Service (LLAMS) within Knowsley, and assessments are completed within 10 days. A recent national audit shown that Knowsley’s overall wait time from assessment to diagnosis is 110 days, compared to the national average of 151 days. Following diagnosis, the LLAMS will deliver continued care, treatment, and support in line with guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The service provides a named nurse, non-pharmaceutical therapies, and medication options.

There is a Dementia Care Navigator within Knowsley, which means any person living with a diagnosis of dementia is never discharged from a memory service. This offers a streamlined and accessible service without the need for new general practice referrals.

The Knowsley LLAMS began a pilot scheme, funded by NHS England, to improve diagnosis rates in Knowsley care homes, using the Diadem tool. They liaised with care homes to identify any residents who may be living in care homes without a formal dementia diagnosis, and were able to diagnose a further 40 residents with unspecified dementia, or refer them back to services for the full memory pathway.