Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the role of creative therapies in the care of people living with dementia.

The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs) and may include creative therapies. We expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

NICE guidance recommends that people living with dementia are offered a range of activities to promote wellbeing that are tailored to their needs and preferences. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97/chapter/Recommendations#interventions-to-promote-cognition-independence-and-wellbeing