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Prime Minister Andy Burnham is currently under pressure to introduce a national target for waiting times in dementia care across England. The Alzheimer’s Society has proposed implementing an 18-week referral-to-treatment goal, an idea supported by notable figures such as Professor Sir Mike Richards, England’s former national cancer director, and Baroness Louise Casey, who is conducting a significant review of adult social care.
A joint report by the Alzheimer’s Society and the King’s Fund called for a transformative approach akin to that seen in cancer care, describing current dementia services as outdated and “stuck in the 20th century.” Social Care Minister Alison McGovern spoke in favor of this initiative during an Alzheimer’s Society conference, highlighting the neglect dementia care has faced. She remarked, “The report that the Alzheimer’s Society published today on going on the journey that we’ve been on with cancer, with Alzheimer’s and dementia, I think that’s spot on.” McGovern also emphasized the disjointed nature of health and social care, which causes particular hardship for people living with dementia and their families as they navigate a fragmented system during challenging times.
The government has pledged to appoint a senior figure—a “dementia tsar” with real expertise—to oversee dementia care and develop a modernized service framework. This plan, set to be published by the end of the year, aims to accelerate support for dementia patients. Unlike cancer care, which benefits from established NHS waiting-time targets, dementia care currently lacks such measurable goals. Professor Sir Mike Richards pointed out that introducing an 18-week referral-to-treatment target for dementia is feasible but would necessitate strong political will and additional funding. He noted, “All of that is going to cost more money but remember the toll that this condition is taking at the moment, both on the people affected by dementia themselves and their relatives.”
Baroness Louise Casey has echoed this call, urging the government to place dementia on equal footing with other health conditions by setting national standards, including the proposed waiting-time target. In a letter to former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, she emphasized the need for such benchmarks. Speaking to the BBC, she criticized the current approach: “I think the National Health Service and more generally all of us have stuck our heads in the sand about it, and it’s time we started saying, yes, we should have a similar mission, and we should do as much as we possibly can on dementia, and now.” Her recommendations on social care reform are expected to be published next summer.
Currently, about one million people in the UK live with dementia, a number forecasted to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Andy Burnham recently returned from compassionate leave following the death of his father, Roy, who had Alzheimer’s disease. Reflecting on his father’s influence, Burnham stated that his dad would have wanted him to continue pushing for change in this area. Earlier this year, Burnham spoke publicly about how his father’s condition had fueled his commitment to overhaul adult social care in England. He has indicated that he will await Baroness Casey’s upcoming recommendations before making decisions regarding reforms to social care and its funding
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