Aphasia: Speech and Language Therapy
(asked on 23rd March 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to Integrated Care Boards on commissioning speech and language therapy services for people with primary progressive aphasia.
The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, which is why we have funded the work of Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme. This brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool and will help simplify best practice. A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool can be found at the following link:
We will also deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, which is expected this year. The Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia and will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.
We are committed to publishing an interim product in September this year to feed into NHS and local government planning cycles, and will aim to publish the full modern service framework by the end of this calendar year as recommended by Baroness Casey.