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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:33 pm on 14 May 2019.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:33, 14 May 2019

I thank the Member for his comments and questions. I will deal with a range of the specifics that you've provided. But on your last point about the Welsh language provision, in the statement, I've set out the work that has been done jointly, first with the Welsh Language Commissioner and the Alzheimer's Society, and that task and finish group will help to inform us more about what we need to do. And as there is Welsh Government participation in the task and finish group, we will learn through the course of that and not just when we get the final report. Obviously, we'll then expect to respond to that and to understand how we will reform services—not just a central directive from the Government, but, actually, how each of those regional partnership groups will need to think again about how they provide services. This is not a care preference, but a care need, and we do need to reflect that. 

On your broader points about recognising the contribution of the voluntary sector, the organisations themselves are involved in organising activities, support and services, as well as advocacy, championing and challenging us, again, to recognise the role of individual carers—often, members of families who go out of their way and give up lots of their life to care for loved ones. And without that, we wouldn't provide not just a service, but the sort of compassion and dignity that we want to see. Which leads into the point you make about the challenges of stigma. So, for all that we have a responsibility to do within the Government, within the health service, within local authorities, much of what we discuss is about our part to play as members of society and the country we live in, and that's why we aim to be a dementia-friendly nation. It's about how we behave with and towards other people, not just those that we know, but in particular, how we behave towards those people that we don't know, and that point about a greater level of tolerance and understanding that would not just make a difference here in the field of dementia, but more generally. I'm thinking of the way that we're prepared to treat other people, and expect to be treated ourselves.

That's why I'm particularly pleased to see such a large number of people, over just one year, who have got engaged and become dementia friends—38,000 extra people in one year, now 158,000 dementia friends across Wales. That's a really positive step forward. And I can say that from my own point of view, my constituency office and I, we are dementia friends—I am a dementia friend—having undertaken the training. Because I recognise it wasn't just about the job I do in this place, but actually, as a constituency Member, we already work with people living with dementia, and we will be contacted by people living with dementia now and in the future as well. It's a big part of our constituency already, and for other constituency and regional Members here too. And I know that Jayne Bryant and others are looking to encourage people so that this place could become the first dementia-friendly Parliament as well, if every Member has undertaken that training, together with their staff, and I'd encourage people to do so.

And on your broader points about how that helps, actually, we're seeing more and more people getting involved across the retail sector, for example, not just the support in terms of the charitable funds that people are providing, but actually, again, encouraging their staff to become dementia friends. And Boots is a good example; other community pharmacy and multiples are available. But in this particular one, it was the Wales part of that company that led the charge within that company, by having, in every single Boots outlet, dementia friends. There was a large programme of activity and engagement, and I was very proud to recognise that when they came here, and they're actually challenging the rest of the Boots group within the UK to do likewise. So, again, a movement that is gathering pace here in Wales, with that initiative, is going to make a difference here and beyond.

I just want to finish on your point about personal experience that many Members in this place will have. We recognise that a change is required. And not just because we can often talk about our own experiences, but the needs of our population are changing. It's not just about age—there is more than that—but actually our ageing profile means it will be a larger reality of the country that we are and will be in the future. And if we didn't recognise that a change was required to deliver the dignity and compassion that you talk about, then we wouldn't have a plan, we wouldn't have measures, and we wouldn't be taken so seriously as we are. The challenge will be to meet the ambition we've set in the plan, to make a real, practical difference.