Dementia

Department of Health written question – answered at on 27 May 2016.

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Photo of Mark Menzies Mark Menzies Conservative, Fylde

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in assistive technology for use by people with dementia.

Photo of Jane Ellison Jane Ellison The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

Dementia is a key priority for the Government. That is why in February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia 2020. The Government will implement the Prime Minister’s Challenge in full to make sure that dementia care, support, awareness and research are transformed by 2020.

As part of the 2020 Challenge, we want to see greater provision of innovative and high quality dementia care, delivered in a way that is personalised and appropriate to the specific needs of the person with dementia, their family and carers. This includes providers incorporating new ideas including technology solutions into everyday practice. We also want to see research on assistive technologies and assisted living, including research on how information and communication technologies can best help people with dementia and carers.

The Department and NHS England recently launched seven ‘Test Bed Sites’ in England. These sites will evaluate the real world impact of technologies, testing them together with innovations in how the NHS services are delivered, to improve health and care outcomes. Three of the Test Beds will have a focus on dementia.

A number of programmes have been launched to support usage of technology for the benefit of people including those with dementia and their carers. These include:

- The Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS) Programme;

- A TECS resource for Commissioners; and

- The Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare and Regional Innovation Fund initiative.

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