Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

New Dementia Treatments

11 January 2024 · 5 other contributors · 8,151 words

Opened by Damian Green Con Ashford

Responding minister: Helen Whately

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Damian Green raised concerns about new dementia treatments in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Nearly 1 million people in the UK live with dementia, expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2050.
  • Current treatments do not slow, stop, or cure dementia, impacting over 1,600 residents in one constituency alone.
  • New diagnostic methods, such as blood tests for Alzheimer's, show promise but face challenges in timely diagnosis.

Key requests to Government

The Government should ensure that NHS bodies and industry develop a joint plan to make new treatments available at reasonable prices. NICE should consider both NHS and social care costs when assessing drug affordability, particularly focusing on unpaid carers who bear the bulk of the cost burden. There is an urgent need for better diagnostic capacity, including increasing access to lumbar puncture procedures.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Damian Green Con Ashford

The cold statistics and human cost of dementia are stark: nearly 1 million people in the UK live with dementia, and this number is expected to increase to 1.6 million by 2050. There are currently no treatments that can slow, stop or cure dementia, which affects over 1,600 residents in his constituency alone. The disease has a profound impact on individuals, families, and carers. New diagnostic methods like blood tests for Alzheimer's show promise, but there is a lack of timely diagnosis, with over a third of the over-65s estimated to have dementia without a recorded diagnosis.

Other contributors (5)
  • Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth

    Ms Abrahams discussed her personal experience with Alzheimer's disease and highlighted the importance of prevention, noting that life expectancy has flatlined since 2017. She emphasized the need for social care reforms as people remain in hospital longer due to a lack of appropriate support in residential or community settings. Ms Abrahams mentioned the increasing prevalence of dementia and its status as the UK's biggest killer. She praised recent developments in disease-modifying treatments like lecanemab and donanemab but expressed concern about delays in their approval by NICE and the need for early diagnosis, sub-type diagnosis, and access to diagnostic tools such as PET scanners. The Minister was reassured by the tone and positive approach but requested data on gaps in PET and CSF testing across different regions to ensure specific diagnosis rates are being met.

  • John Spellar Lab Ecclesall

    He congratulated the right hon. Member on securing this important debate and highlighted the importance of effective management of dementia, including aids, adaptations, and regimes that enable people to continue functioning longer.

  • Karin Smyth Lab Bristol South

    The NHS needs a more efficient set-up process for clinical trials and an adequate workforce to deliver new dementia treatments. The UK currently lacks a specific dementia strategy, which is disappointing. There is insufficient scanning capacity for accurate diagnosis of dementia sub-types, with the country having one of the lowest per capita ratios of diagnostic scanners in the OECD.

  • Matthew Hancock Con West Suffolk

    He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to support more research in dementia treatments, noting that despite improvements, funding for research remains a drop in the ocean compared with potential savings and benefits to health, social care systems.

  • Philip Hollobone Con Kettering

    He agreed with his right hon. Friend's point about NICE considering only NHS costs rather than broader impacts, arguing that guidelines need urgent revision.

Government Response

Helen Whately

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford on securing this debate. I commend the campaigning of several charities in this area, including Alzheimer's Research UK, the Alzheimer's Society, Dementia UK, Age UK and many others that do so much to raise awareness of dementia, fund research, and support people with dementia and their carers. The Minister spoke about the statistics related to dementia, noting that close to 1 million people in the UK suffer from dementia, including around 900,000 over 65 and almost 50,000 under 65; by next year, this number is expected to exceed 1 million and reach 1.5 million by 2050. She highlighted the significant financial and emotional burdens of dementia for both individuals with the disease and their families or carers. The Minister noted that a substantial proportion of dementia cases (40%) are either preventable or delayable, emphasizing the importance of prevention and delaying onset through addressing risk factors like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, poor diet, and lack of physical activity. The government has invested over £454 million in dementia research since 2018 and committed to doubling funding to at least £160 million annually, launching initiatives such as the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission with £95 million in funding and a new partnership for vascular dementia research backed by £9 million. The Minister also addressed concerns about NICE's evaluation process, confirming that it takes into account health-related costs and benefits, including social care costs. She assured Members of the NHS's readiness to support the adoption of new treatments while recognizing the need for earlier diagnosis techniques like PET scans and lumbar punctures. The government aims to be a world leader in dementia research, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, investing in these areas as part of its broader major conditions strategy.

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