Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to (a) fund and (b) support new dementia (i) treatment and (ii) research in (A) Romford and (B) England.

We want a society where every person with dementia, their families and carers, receive high quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to end of life.

Several potential new disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are in development. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Health and Care Clinical Excellence (NICE), NHS England and the Department are working closely to ensure that arrangements are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and NICE recommended treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in England as soon as possible. NICE’s appraisals of lecanemab and donanemab for treating early Alzheimer's disease is currently underway and, subject to licensing, NICE expects to publish final guidance in summer 2024 as close to licence as possible.

The Government is strongly committed to supporting research into dementia. The Department delivers research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR has launched several exciting new initiatives to support new dementia research. This includes: investing nearly £11 million to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia; investing £9 million to continue funding the Three Schools Dementia Programme, which links public health, primary care and social care via our NIHR research schools; and commissioning a Dementia and Neurodegeneration Policy Research Unit worth £6 million to further boost evidence for policymaking. This work will support research across the country.

The usual practice of NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics or regions. Research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available and funding applications are judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.