Baroness Casey urges dementia to become Britain’s next national health mission

Baroness Louise Casey, chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, urged ministers to elevate dementia to a national priority comparable to the historic fight against cancer. Her remarks coincided with the launch of a joint Alzheimer’s Society and The King’s Fund report that describes dementia care in England as still operating with 20th-century practices and in need of a sweeping overhaul. Sir Mike Richards, former national cancer director, highlighted that dementia now faces the same challenges cancer did decades ago and that applying the cancer-care blueprint could speed up improvements.

The report calls for strong leadership, clear diagnostic and treatment targets, and better data collection, while the government plans to issue its first Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia. A new dementia tsar is expected to drive coordinated action, and emerging therapies offer additional hope for change.