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Written question asked by Baroness Whitaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Aphasia: Speech and Language Therapy

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people with Primary Progressive Aphasia can access speech and language therapy through Specialised Cognitive Neurology Services in all specialised neurology centres.

Answer

Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Government is committed to improving care for everyone with dementia, including those with Primary Progressive Aphasia, which is why we have funded the work of the Dementia 100: Assessment Tool Pathway programme, which brings together multiple resources into a single, consolidated tool. This will help simplify best practice for busy system leaders and help create communities and services where the best possible care and support is available to those with dementia.

A number of experts, including those with expertise in speech and language therapy and dementia care, provided independent, desktop analysis of the tool and this invaluable feedback was integrated into the tool. The D100: Pathway Assessment Tool is available on the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ website.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL16652
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Speech and language therapy Aphasia
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk