Science Minister Lord Vallance has announced the launch of a major R&D challenge aiming to ensure 92% of patients are diagnosed with dementia within 18 weeks of referral by 2029.
Diagnostic solutions identified include: accelerating work on blood tests that spot the build-up of proteins associated with dementia and developing saliva analysis which picks up hormone changes at the early stages of dementia, even before symptoms have manifested.
The current diagnosis rate at 18 weeks following a referral stands at less than 50%, signalling the pressing need to speed up early diagnoses which facilitate earlier interventions.
The Dementia Patient Flow R&I Challenge has initially been allocated £5 million in funding, but is part of the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme — backed by £500 million in the Spending Review.
We welcome the Government’s decisive action to close the dementia diagnostics gap. The UK diagnostics industry stands ready to partner on this mission to drive innovation and help deliver the 92% target to transform countless lives.
