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Dementia Sufferers

My apologies—the hon. Member for Worsley (Barbara Keeley). Wherever the hon. Lady hails from, her points were well made. She mentioned stress, depression and social isolation among carers. She talked about the inadequacies of care support and about the fact that the care provided in some residential settings does not replicate the care that people receive in their own homes. She noted that carers' confidence in respite care is crucial to determining whether they use it, which they need to do if they are to continue with their burdens. She also mentioned organisations such as Age Concern and Crossroads, and she gave a moving account of individuals' experiences. The hon. Member for Southport (Dr. Pugh) described the rough end of dementia care in graphic terms, and I could share similar stories with him, having been a district nurse some years ago and having also seen people in care home settings. He referred to what happens on the ground, which is so important. He also mentioned key workers and training. Finally, he discussed elder abuse, a subject that we do not often feel comfortable in addressing. The hon. Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) is not with us today, but at Prime Minister's Question Time he raised the issue of Aricept and the fact that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not issued the data model that it used. NICE can play a significant part in the care of people with dementia, but its role has been overlooked. NICE does not currently take into account the social costs of care, but they are extremely important in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of any drugs that come on the market to treat conditions such as dementia. I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it is important for us all to have sight of the data model that NICE used.