Written question WQ94377
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What is Welsh Government doing to improve diagnosis rates and improve support for people living with dementia?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Improving diagnosis rates and the availability of diagnosis data is a priority.
We have published a Welsh Health Circular setting out guidance for health boards to assist with the recording of a diagnosis of dementia. The NHS Executive and Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) are supporting the standardised collection of primary care dementia register data with the aim of producing more regular diagnostic rates data.
We provide £12m to Regional Partnership Boards to support the implementation of the existing Dementia Action Plan and to develop a joint health and social care approach to dementia support.
An independent evaluation of the current Dementia Action Plan has been commissioned and the final report will be received by the end of 2024. Any planning of the successor arrangements will need to take into account the lessons from that evaluation. We will then undertake a full engagement exercise to ensure the content of the successor arrangements is co-produced with stakeholders, including people with lived experience and those working in services. Timescales for publication of a new plan will be dependent on this process.