Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that advances from dementia research programmes are adopted into frontline clinical practice.

Through partnerships with patients, researchers, funders, and charities we continue to play a significant role in global efforts against the disease. The United Kingdom has established a rich ecosystem for dementia research. The Government is investing in dementia research across all areas, from causes, diagnosis and prevention, to treatment, care, and support, including for carers.

In developing the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, we are engaging with a wide group of partners to understand what should be included to ensure the best outcomes for people living with dementia. As part of this exercise, we will consider what advancements, if validated for clinical use, interventions, metrics and targets should be supported to improve care for those with dementia.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England are working to plan for the adoption of any new, licensed and NICE-recommended treatments. NICE is a world-renowned health technology assessment body, and the Government is confident in its methods and processes for ensuring that any new medicines that are recommended for use on the National Health Service provide the most health benefit at a cost-effective price to the taxpayer.