Delyth Jewell, the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health, has set out the Welsh Government’s priorities for social care, mental health and women’s health. This included “future actions to tackle key priorities including brain health, earlier diagnosis and improving support will be set out in a new Dementia Strategy for Wales”.
Alzheimer’s Society’s National Influencing Manager Gemma Roberts said: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing a new dementia strategy for Wales. We stand ready and eager to work with the Welsh Government to turn this ambition into a reality.
“People with dementia in Wales routinely face prolonged delays to diagnosis followed by gaps and stark inequalities in treatment and support. Delays of this scale have quietly become routine for dementia, Wales’s biggest killer, but would not be accepted for cancer or heart disease. It’s vital that the Plaid Cymru manifesto commitment to a diagnosis target of 12 weeks is included in the new strategy.
“The science is flying with faster, more accurate diagnosis and new treatments on the horizon. With the delivery of a bold dementia strategy for Wales that tackles diagnosis, care and support, delivering the transformation that people living with dementia need.”
