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Dementia

I congratulate the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on securing this Adjournment debate. I very much look forward to spending the afternoon with him when he comes to meet me in the Department about a separate issue immediately after the debate. He has a long track record of caring passionately about these issues, and I pay tribute to him. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills), who, appropriately in national carers week, is continuing his campaign to raise awareness of the needs of carers in relation to these challenging issues. It is appropriate that we acknowledge that dementia is a heart-breaking condition. Of course it has a horrendous impact on the individual directly affected, but it also has an impact on the loved ones who see an older relative deteriorate, often quickly, in a way that is tremendously sad. Relatives do not have to deal only with the practical realities. It is a challenging condition in terms of its emotional impact on those who are closest to the people affected. It is important to deal initially with the comments made by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam about the NICE process. First, the NICE recommendations are neither the final story nor the final guidance on drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. Stakeholders have until 15 June to lodge an appeal against the recommendations and at that point NICE will convene to committee to hear any appeals. It will publish a report of the appeal on its website. It is also important to say that the process has been thorough—unprecedented almost.