Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a £48 million partnership aimed at accelerating dementia research and helping more people take part in clinical trials. The Government will contribute £33 million through the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, alongside funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Gates Ventures. The investment will support the BARBARA Alliance, a UK-wide not-for-profit partnership bringing together government, industry, academics, charities and people with lived experience of dementia.

New platform to connect patients with clinical trials

The alliance’s flagship BARBARA programme will create a coordinated platform linking health data, research and clinical trial capabilities across the UK. Ministers say one of the biggest obstacles facing dementia research is recruiting enough suitable people to test promising new treatments. The new system is intended to help researchers identify participants more quickly while making it easier for people across the country to access research opportunities. People aged over 18 can already register their interest in dementia studies through the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Join Dementia Research service, whether or not they have a dementia diagnosis or concerns about their memory.

Burnham: Britain can make dementia breakthrough

Mr Burnham said dementia research would become a national priority and that he wanted Britain to lead the development of new treatments. He said: “Dementia is a devastatingly cruel disease, not only for those who live with it, but for the families who care for them. “For too long, we have accepted dementia as something to be managed later in life, rather than a disease we can defeat. I don’t accept that.” The Prime Minister added that he wanted Britain “to be the country that makes the breakthrough”. Mr Burnham’s father Roy died last month after living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Nearly one million living with dementia

Government figures estimate that almost one million people in the UK are living with dementia. Ministers say around one in two people will be affected during their lifetime, either through developing dementia themselves, caring for somebody with the condition, or both. Dementia is estimated to cost the UK more than £42 billion a year, including around £7 billion in NHS costs, with much of the remaining burden falling on social care and unpaid family carers.

Health data service to prioritise dementia

Dementia will also be among the first priorities for the Government’s new Health Data Research Service. The service is intended to bring NHS and research data together securely so approved researchers can better understand diseases, identify people suitable for clinical trials and accelerate the development of treatments. The £48 million announcement forms part of a wider government drive to improve dementia diagnosis, research and care across the UK.