Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expand the dementia diagnostic workforce to ensure that the NHS has the capacity to deliver timely and accurate diagnoses.

The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service in England to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

NHS England is working with partner agencies to support and inform further research into other diagnostic modalities, including blood-based biomarker and digital tests, which may help improve identification and management of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has already invested £13 million into a range of biomarker innovation projects, which include a broad range of biomarker technologies, ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.

NHS England has established a dedicated national programme team which continues to actively monitor potentially promising new treatments in late-stage trials, and which is working to co-ordinate preparations for the potential roll out of new treatments. These plans include assessments of any additional diagnostic capacity or additional workforce that would be needed if new treatments are licensed in the United Kingdom and achieve a positive recommendation on NHS adoption by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Enhancing the skills of staff working in adult social care is also vital to ensuring that the care provided is of good quality, fair, personalised, and accessible.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10 Year Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We will 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, expected in 2026.