Andy Burnham units UK scientists essential problem to discover a remedy for dementia
Andy Burnham has voiced his hope that Britain can be the place where a cure for dementia is finally delivered as he vowed to make it a top priority with millions of pounds of research investment
Andy Burnham says he wants Britain to be the country that delivers a dementia cure(Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Andy Burnham has challenged scientists to make Britain the country that finally develops a cure for dementia.
The PM will announce a £48million partnership with healthcare firms and charities to speed up research and development of new treatments. He will say dementia will be one of the first priorities for the new Health Data Research Service to help life-changing drugs reach patients faster.
Speaking less than a month after his dad Roy died after living with Alzheimer’s disease, the PM said: “Dementia is a devastatingly cruel disease, not only for those who live with it, but for the families who care for them. For too long, we have accepted dementia as something to be managed later in life, rather than a disease we can defeat. I don’t accept that. In fact, I have real hope that we can come together and do exactly that.
“I want Britain to be the country that makes the breakthrough and delivers the cure for dementia the world has been waiting for. That is why I am making dementia research a national priority – by backing the NHS, universities, researchers and industry to drive the breakthroughs we desperately need.”
The government will invest £33million through the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, set up in memory of the EastEnders star who died in 2020 after a long battle with the illness. Funding will also come from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Gates Ventures, to help tackle one of the biggest barriers to research – recruiting enough people to test new treatments.
Speaking ahead of the Innovation Nation Summit, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This cruel disease has done so much damage to families across our country, and for too long we have lacked the tools to fight back. This investment will help us turn the tide on dementia, helping us to speed up diagnosis, accelerate research and give more people the chance to take part in trials that could transform their futures.”
Money pledged will support the work of the Barbara Alliance, which brings together experts, industry chiefs, charities and those affected by dementia. It will focus on making it easier for researchers to find people to take part in studies.
lary Evans-Newton CBE, chair of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme and chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We know that people affected by dementia want the opportunity to be part of the search for better treatments. More than 90% we’ve surveyed told us they would like to take part in research, helping to shape a better future for everyone affected by the condition.
“The Barbara Alliance has been created to change that. By tackling the barriers to dementia research and speeding up recruitment to clinical trials, this funding will help more people contribute to breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment.”
Jessamy Baird, who heads the alliance, said: “Taking part in a trial not only means that someone can contribute to the future course of the disease, they also get the opportunity to receive interventions, treatments and better care, which can help them and their loved ones.”
Mr Burnham will announce that dementia will be among the first priorities for the new Health Data Research Service (HDRS). This is a flagship commitment of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan.
Joining up research will mean scientists can understand how diseases develop and trial cutting-edge treatments.
The measure will sit alongside Mr Burnham’s pledge to bring forward a National Care Service that would provide free personal care for older people. In order to fund it, he announced, the government will look at scrapping the triple lock – while still ensuring the state pension rises every year.
