Action on dementia care is not still not progressing at a suitable pace, according to MPs.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee report has claimed there is a lack of direction, despite government vows to make it a care priority.
It said despite the Department of Health launching its “ambitious and comprehensive” five-year National Dementia Strategy in February 2009, not much has happened in the past year.
This is despite £150m worth of initial funding being given to health trusts to help implement the strategy over the first two years.
The MPs called for the condition to take on the same high profile as strokes and cancer.
Dementia costs £8.2bn a year in direct health and social care costs but much of this is spent in response to crisis, in the later stages of the disease.
“In practice, the Department has failed to match its commitments to raise the quality and priority of dementia care with a robust approach to implementation,” the report said.
“It has failed to ignite passion, pace and drive or to align leadership, funding, incentives and information to help deliver the strategy.”
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