Dementia Support Line
NHS bodies give Boris Johnson 'to-do' list - Alzheimer's Society comment
The NHS Confederation, which represents 500 organisations in the NHS, voluntary and independent sectors, has presented the new Prime Minister with a "to-do" list, asking him to address major areas of "unfinished business" that are damaging patient care.
In its letter, which first addresses social care, it says:
'For more than 20 years, successive governments have failed to address this challenge, but there is now a chance for decisive action.
'We would be keen to support both an immediate recognition of the current crisis and a bold move to establish a cross-party solution to deal with the fundamental reform that is so badly needed.
'We very much hope you will regard this as a potential legacy issue - it is certainly one your predecessors have conspicuously failed to grasp.'
Jeremy Hughes, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, said:
'We’ve heard months of talk about fixing the social care system, but are still no closer to seeing the actions behind these words.
'The Prime Minister has a chance to end decades of dithering and make a difference for the 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today.
'The social care crisis isn’t going to go away unless we see a complete overhaul, and the reform so desperately needed within social care will also enable the NHS to better meet people’s needs.
'A cross-party solution is needed to bring about long-term reform, but it’s crucial that the Prime Minster takes action to help people now.
'We need to see immediate investment in a dedicated NHS Dementia Fund, which will mean that people with dementia get the support they need from the moment they are diagnosed.'
