London: Dementia patients will receive a diagnosis within six weeks, David Cameron pledged on Saturday.
Britain will also lead the search for a cure, with over £300 million of taxpayers’ money invested in research, and all 1.3 million NHS staff are to receive training in handling the condition.
The prime minister branded dementia one of the “greatest enemies of humanity”, insisting care for sufferers and efforts to find better treatments must be stepped up.
As part of this effort, Cameron said people presenting with symptoms should not be kept waiting for treatment because of delayed diagnoses.
GP’s diagnosis rates have increased from 42 per cent to 59 per cent in the last three years, but some patients are still waiting up to six months for a full assessment.
The prime minister said this would “no longer be tolerated”, insisting there should be an average wait of no more than six weeks for diagnosis. “Dementia is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, and I am proud that we are leading the world in fighting it,” he said.
“Because of the growing strength of our economy, we can invest in research and drug development, as well as public understanding, so we defeat this terrible condition and offer more hope and dignity for those who suffer.” Experts warn that unless more effective treatments are found, the number of over-60s living with Alzheimer’s and related conditions will more than double from 850,000 to two million over the next 35 years, putting a huge strain on the NHS and social services.
And as well as devastating families, dementia already costs the economy up to £21 billion a year in treatment costs and lost productivity.
There are plans to invest over £300 million in UK research and medical innovation. Overall, annual investment in research in this country is expected to double by 2025.
The government will also set up an international dementia institute in England within five years, helping to make the UK a world leader for research on dementia and medical trials.
There are also efforts to improve the care of dementia patients. All 1.3 million NHS staff will be required to undergo special training in order to provide the best possible standards in care. Over 400,000 have already taken part in such training.
The government’s world dementia envoy, Dennis Gillings, said: “We have momentum. Awareness of dementia is increasing and action is being taken, and that will ensure the condition is managed far better in our society.”