Having recently met with people living with dementia and their carers in North Wales, MS for the region Mark Isherwood has today called on the Welsh Government to ensure it gets its new Dementia Action Plan right.
During Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood spoke of the postcode lottery for dementia services in North Wales and asked how the new Dementia Action Plan will meet the needs of those living with dementia and their carers.
He said: .
“With a new Dementia Plan for Wales in the works, new treatments in the pipeline and the prevalence of dementia continuing to increase, it's vital that you get this right.
“A fortnight ago, I visited the Wrexham Dementia Hub with Alzheimer's Society Cymru, and met a support group for people living with dementia and carers. They told me that although the North Wales Memory Support Pathway is doing what it can to bring services providers and third sector together to provide a pathway for people living with dementia across North Wales, there is a postcode lottery, and services, including access to specialist support nurses, are still not available to everyone who needs them.
“How will you therefore ensure that Wales has a new Dementia Action Plan with a bold commitment to meet the needs of people who are living with dementia and their carers, such as those they identified to me?”
Responding, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy MS, said: “I agree that we absolutely have to get it right, and that feedback in itself is incredibly helpful and useful.”