Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to improve patient access to (a) FDG-PET and (b) CSF tests for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in line with NICE guidelines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for health and care, including on assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers. NICE’s guideline NG97 states that FDG-PET and CSF tests should be considered when the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is uncertain.

Clinical commissioning groups are expected to commission appropriate services, including such testing, in line with their local population health needs.