Overview
- The government announced £5 million through the Research & Development Missions Accelerator to speed improved diagnostics and patient support, unveiled during a ministerial visit to the UK Dementia Research Institute in Cambridge.
- A new ambition aims for more than 92% of patients to receive a diagnosis within 18 weeks of referral by 2029, up from about 46.8% currently.
- Ministers say blood and saliva tests that detect disease before symptoms could be available on the NHS within four years, subject to validation and deployment.
- Proposed innovations include AI-powered daily routine assistants on smart speakers or tablets to offer reminders, cognitive exercises and help with everyday tasks.
- Officials highlight that about one in four acute hospital beds in England are occupied by people with dementia and roughly one million people in the UK are living with the condition, as researchers and charities welcome the push and forecast rapid progress over the next five years.