Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to chapter 2 of the report entitled, Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, published by Alzheimer’s Research UK in September 2023, whether he has considered the potential merits of taking steps to increase NHS capacity to diagnose dementia.

In December 2022, the recovery of the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7% was included in the National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance, as part of the refined mental health objectives for 2023/24. This reinforces the importance of dementia as a key priority for NHS England and provides a clear direction for integrated care boards to support delivery of timely diagnoses within systems.