3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on the Dementia Action Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:26 pm on 14 May 2019.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:26, 14 May 2019

Thank you for the questions. I set out in my statement and reiterated the importance of diagnosis. It was a particular issue of concern, both from the wider community living with dementia, as well as Assembly Members, in the run-up to the plan. The commitments in the plan remain, about our expectation to see year-on-year increases through the plan. We also have a mid-point review to understand how successful we've been. We'll next have figures available on the increases in diagnosis rates in September of this year. But, as I set out in my statement, we're taking a range of practical measures to try and assist that. In terms of flexible support, again, I set out in my statement a range of the steps that we are taking to provide that flexible support and actually the point about having teams around the individual to understand the needs of that person, what matters to that person, and how that may change over time as the condition progresses.

And, in terms of a guarantee that everything is in place now, I think it would be foolish for me to try and suggest that is in place. This is a continuing journey. And on that journey of improvement we should all recognise that not every single intervention will be delivered successfully. There will be more for us to learn about what we don't get right as well as what we have got right. So, I want to be realistic and honest with people about where we are. It's a journey of improvement. There's huge commitment from our staff across local authorities and the health service in particular, and the third sector. But key to all of that is a commitment of people living with dementia to help inform the work we're undertaking and to be honest partners in both challenging and supporting us on the improvement that we all recognise is required.