Government boost for dementia research (Easington Liberal Democrats)

Easington Liberal Democrats <info@easingtonlibdems.org.uk>

Government boost for dementia research

July 12, 2011 9:32 AM
Originally published by Ian Swales

Local MP Ian Swales has welcomed the Government's move to invest more money and expertise into dementia research.

Currently over three quarters of a million people suffer from dementia in the UK, with the figure expected to double over the next 30 years. It is a leading cause of disability in later life, and one in three people over 65 die with some form of dementia.

However, until now research into the causes and treatments of dementia have been relatively poorly funded. For instance, for every £1 the Government spends on cancer research, it spends just 8p on dementia.

Liberal Democrat Care Minister Paul Burstow recently announced a package of measures including a 10% increase in funding for research into degenerative brain disorders, and an additional £20million to fund four new Research Units across the country.

Commenting, Mr. Swales, the MP for Redcar constituency, said:

"I am delighted that the Government has chosen to invest more money and expertise into dementia research. Millions of families across the country are affected by this devastating condition.

"Research into the causes and treatments of dementia will allow us to gain a better understanding of it. This will help us improve the quality of life of the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from the condition by transforming the care and treatment they receive."