23.02.15
Cameron announces £300m and training for all NHS staff on dementia
The government has pledged a further £300m of investment to tackle dementia, including mandatory training for all NHS staff.
Launching the next phase of the his “challenge on dementia” programme, David Cameron also announced that an international dementia institute would be established in England within the next five years, as well as the creation of a new global fund on dementia, which would see investors from the public and private sectors unite to fund a range of research projects.
Cameron said: "What today's announcement is about is a very simple but bold ambition, and that is to make the United Kingdom the best place on the planet in terms of researching into dementia, in terms of diagnosing people with dementia and then in terms of treating, helping and caring for them."
The extra training for NHS staff will focus on how to provide best standards of care for people with dementia and those undergoing it will range from surgeons to hospital porters, the government said.
Three million more “dementia friends” will also receive training in how to support those with the condition.
It is estimated that there will be one million people living with dementia in the UK by 2025. Dementia is now one of the greatest burdens on global healthcare systems, costing an estimated £370bn – about 1% of the world’s GDP.
Professor Alistair Burns, NHS England’s national clinical director for dementia, welcomed the announcement.
He said: “We are beginning to change the way society respects and treats people with dementia. We can change the lives of tens of thousands of people for the better if we can continue to raise awareness, invest in the search for new treatments, and most importantly improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers.”
Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham welcomed the announcement but said more needed to be done to support dementia sufferers now.
"Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable older people have lost social care support since David Cameron entered Downing Street. Social care in England is close to collapse but this government is in denial about it,” he said.
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