Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of ONS data showing that in March and April 2020, 20 per cent of those dying with covid-19 had dementia as a main underlying condition.

Keeping people safe throughout this period is the Government’s top priority.

We are monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia. Informed by the Office of National Statistics 15 May publication ‘Deaths involving COVID-19 in England and Wales: deaths occurring in April 2020’, we are working with our partners to understand what additional mitigating actions may be required to ensure the safety of people with dementia. We are working closely with local authorities, the care sector and NHS England to understand the impact of COVID-19 and ensure everyone has access to the right care.

We have commissioned research on how to manage or mitigate the psychological, physical and social impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia living in the community and their carers. Work has already started with phased outputs to August 2020.