25.11.15
£150m dementia institute will boost research, diagnosis and treatment by 2020
The UK is going to benefit from its first £150m Dementia Research Institute to accelerate the pace of research, develop new diagnostic tests and tackle the progression of the disease, prime minister David Cameron has announced.
Medical Research Council, which will lead the institute, will open a competitive process in the new year to draw in universities that can host the institute itself, as well as to search for a director.
The new facility is expected to bring in world-leading experts, universities and organisations that can help drive forward innovation in fighting dementia, which currently affects around 850,000 people in Britain – a figure expected to double in the next 20 years.
The building will have a central hub based at a university, but will also boast local links to universities across the country and build on existing dementia centres operating in the UK. It is expected to be operational before 2020.
It will also seek to attract new partnerships with the biopharmaceutical sector in order to develop new treatments and ways of diagnosing the disease, as well as develop strategies for interventions that block its progression.
Cameron said: “For far too long, this terrible condition has been ignored, down-played or mistaken as part of the ageing process. When the truth is – dementia is one of the greatest enemies of humanity.
“I have been clear that I want Britain to lead the way in tackling this disease, and we have already taken great strides,” he said, citing the increase in research, specialist training and awareness sessions nationwide.
“This institute is another great step, and will allow us to draw together cutting-edge research tools and expertise to defeat this disease once and for all.”
The chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, Jeremy Hughes, said the move was a significant step towards accelerating much-needed treatments and innovations in care practice, alongside the society’s own commitment of £100m in research funding.
“We look forward to our continued leadership with government to shape the institute, making sure the priorities of people affected by dementia are considered through this world-leading initiative,” he added.
“The opportunity to make life-changing discoveries is significant, and it is vital the institute not only drives forward treatment development, but also has a major focus on improving the care that people receive now and in the future.”
The news also follows calls just two weeks ago from another organisation, Alzheimer’s Research UK, for the government to prioritise investment in dementia research after the Office for National Statistics showed it was the leading killer of women and the second leading killer of men in 2014.
Hilary Evans, the charity’s chief executive, said that, much like advances in medicine helped reduce the impact of conditions like heart disease, it was vital to pour money into dementia research and find ways of treating and preventing the disease.
But in July, almost two-thirds of doctors said a major obstacle for treating dementia was the lack of cooperation between the NHS and social care. Nearly 80% of GPs said their patients relied on family as they did not get enough help from health and social care services, with a similar percentage also believing patients don’t get enough provision from social care services after diagnosis.
Calls for integration between the NHS and social care services, which have been topping many healthcare leaders’ agendas in the last few months, are expected to be clarified during today’s Spending Review this afternoon (25 November).