Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve outcomes for dementia patients in Lincolnshire.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision of dementia health care services, and we expect ICBs to commission services based on local population need, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. Lincolnshire is above the national ambition for dementia diagnosis rates, because of prioritising improvements in diagnosis rates. As a system, Lincolnshire is committed to continuing to improve its offer to support the local population following a diagnosis of dementia. This includes developing plans for a dedicated standalone service which will increase its capacity to offer support before, during, and after diagnosis.

The Dementia Home Treatment Team provides a countywide, community-based ‘hospital at home’ service seven day a week, for those whose needs are escalating beyond the care of existing community mental health teams.