TO BE PUBLISHED November 2025
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This conference will focus on priorities for improving dementia diagnosis, care, and research in England, following the 2025 Spending Review and in the context of the recently published 10-Year Health Plan and wider health and social care reform.
Stakeholders and policymakers will assess strategic priorities for creating a Modern Service Framework for dementia and frailty, as set out in the Plan, which aims to identify and set standards for best-evidenced interventions, alongside defining long-term outcome goals, informed by the first wave of the independent commission into adult social care. Opportunities presented by the proposed shift towards neighbourhood health services will also be examined, including ways forward for allowing people to access support closer to home.
It will be an opportunity to assess the Government’s funding and policy commitments, including investment in diagnostic infrastructure, social care, and research. Delegates will consider the scope and scale of proposals in relation to challenges being faced, as well as priorities and practicalities for implementation - including expansion of the mental health workforce and the development of a single patient record to support integration, alongside the Government’s aim to reduce costs while increasing productivity across the NHS. Next steps for the NHS App in establishing an effective tool for managing care will also be considered, including assessment of the proposed ‘My Carer’ function.
The introduction of new therapies is also expected to be a focus - following NICE’s final guidance on Lecanemab and Donanemab - examining issues of system readiness to support earlier and more specific diagnoses. Areas for consideration include diagnostic capacity, workforce resourcing, and commissioning processes, as well as implications of regular infusion-based treatments for access and affordability. In light of the publication of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, priorities for streamlining patient access to innovative treatments and technologies will also be assessed.
Further planned sessions examine how local systems are responding to variation in diagnosis rates, looking at opportunities for innovation, including the adoption of blood-based biomarkers, AI-powered diagnostics, and improved data access through the Health Data Research Service. Next steps for facilitating the future rollout of genomic insights into dementia prevention strategies will also be considered. We also expect a focus on the future direction of social care, including coordination with health services, support for unpaid carers, and implications of the recently launched Casey Commission.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- dementia priorities in the 10-Year Health Plan:
- key issues for delivery - ICS and local system response to new expectations
- coordination of dementia policy with wider ambitions for prevention, community care, and service integration
- strategic priorities for creating a Modern Service Framework for dementia and frailty
- facilitating the future rollout of genomic insights into dementia prevention strategies
- measures in the 2025 Spending Review:
- assessing increased NHS and social care funding
- implementation of workforce expansion, diagnostic infrastructure investment, and new cost-efficiency mandates - alignment with NHS productivity targets and service planning
- treatment access following NICE guidance:
- next steps for Lecanemab and Donanemab - options for managed access, patient eligibility, and local commissioning
- affordability challenges and system implications of regular infusion-based therapies
- system readiness for new therapies:
- capacity for early and accurate diagnosis, including subtype identification - availability of advanced diagnostics such as PET imaging and CSF analysis
- workforce challenges, including memory clinics and neurology services
- regulation and research:
- reform, acceleration, and safety - impact of MHRA consultation on use of real-world evidence
- priorities for the Health Data Research Service and Local Innovation Partnerships Fund - implications of changes for dementia trial design, approval timelines, and patient involvement
- diagnostic pathways:
- priorities for improvement - variation in detection rates across regions and demographic groups
- blood-based biomarkers, AI-supported diagnostics and widening access - infrastructure and funding required for rolling out innovation in routine care
- social care reform:
- the proposed National Care Service and Better Care Fund - improving coordination between clinical care and community-based services
- the Casey Commission and implications for long-term policy direction and building cross-party consensus on sustainable funding approaches for social care
- unpaid carers and families:
- provision of respite, financial support, and care coordination - policy options for recognising carer roles in formal care planning
- Disabled Facilities Grant and ensuring equitable access
- the role of the proposed ‘My Carer’ tool in the NHS App to facilitate communication and streamline care responsibilities
- workforce development and training:
- strategic options for addressing recruitment and retention pressures across clinical and care sectors - delivery and consistency in mandatory dementia training
- priorities for the anticipated revision of the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan and preparation for new care models
