Commitment to make the UK a world leader on dementia

The Prime Minister has pledged to more than double the funding for research into dementia and neurodegenerative disease to more than £66 million each year by 2015.

David Cameron said he wanted to see the UK become a world leader in the field.

In England 670,000 people have dementia and the number of people developing the disease is increasing. One in three people will develop dementia and it costs society an estimated £19 billion a year. 

The extra cash forms part of a series of measures which include encouraging the creation of 20 ‘dementia-friendly communities’ where individuals, businesses and the state work together to support people with dementia.

The department of health will launch a public awareness campaign later this year and hospitals are to be given financial incentives to carry out checks on patients to see if they have the condition. 

The latest measures were announced alongside the Alzheimer’s Society publishing their report Dementia 2012: A national challenge.

The health secretary Andrew Lansley said: “Dementia is one of the biggest challenges we face and we are determined to transform the quality of dementia care for patients and their families.”

Jeremy Hughes, the chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister marks an unprecedented step towards making the UK a world leader in dementia.

“Doubling funding for research, tackling diagnosis and calling for a radical shift in the way we talk, think and act on dementia will help to transform lives.”