Charities disappointed at new dementia strategy

Charities have expressed disappointment that a new Scottish government dementia strategy does not come with priorities and spending plans.

Scottish ministers have published a 10-year vision for dementia policy.

It outlines a number of areas which is hoped will improve the lives of people living with dementia, their families and carers.

But Alzheimer Scotland said it was "deeply disappointed" there was not more detail on how it will work.

More than 90,000 people in Scotland have dementia, which is the name for the set of symptoms caused by brain damage from diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The Scottish government has published a new strategy which it hopes will improve areas such as pre and post dementia diagnosis and work to enable more people to live well at home.

Tackling the stigma of dementia will be a priority of the plan and it aims to do this by making sure two-year delivery plans are agreed, with the first of these expected to be published at the end of the year.

But the latest strategy is the fourth in the last 13 years and Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said a firmer idea of practical measures to help a "system that is in crisis" were needed.

He told BBC Scotland: "Scotland's dementia policy is exceptional in terms of policy but really problematic in terms of delivery.

"We welcome the way the strategy has been developed but we are deeply disappointed that it does not come with defined priorities in the critical pressure areas that are in our system at present, and some investment to make that get delivered.

"In a lot of areas the strategy says what we are going to do, but it doesn't say how we are going to do it."

Margaret Stewart, care services manager at the Lifecare charity, welcomed the strategy's vision but said it needed to be properly funded.

She told BBC Scotland: "It's got great ideas, building on what happened in past, but unless we implement what is being put on paper then it is just a piece of paper.

"At the moment the two-year action plan isn't coming out until the end of the year, which is another six months away, so we don't know how it is going to improve things for people because the detail isn't there."

Age Scotland's head of dementia, Dr Kainde Manji, said: "The commitments outlined represent an extremely positive step towards ensuring every person living with dementia receives the care and support they deserve, as well as recognising the needs of unpaid carers in their own right.

"Ultimately, the proof will be in the implementation of the strategy and how it delivers for those living with dementia and their carers. It is vital that we get that right."

The Scottish government's Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: "This strategy sets out what we want to achieve and the difference we want to make to people's lives.

"Diagnosis can bring significant mental health and wellbeing challenges that need to be acknowledged and addressed to ensure a person's rights are upheld.

"That's why the strategy was developed in collaboration with the National Dementia Lived Experience Panel. We want everyone affected to be involved in its delivery."

In 2010 when the government published its first dementia strategy it was described as "world leading and transformational".

This is now the fourth iteration of that strategy and while there is broad support for the policies, there has also been criticism that they have fallen far short in delivery.

There has been progress. A huge body of work is looking at brain health, recognising dementia is not simply a disease of old age.

There is greater understanding of the condition and how can diagnose it.

But Alzheimer's Scotland is just one organisation that has outlined shortcomings, with inconsistencies and delays in diagnosis and a lack of consistent care for people who are very vulnerable.

Today's publication says the government will set out delivery plans that will be measured every two years - meaning they can be held to account. But it also talks about visions and ambitions and does not come with any dedicated funding.

The nub of the problem however, is one that affects so much of our health and social care system. With money tight and a shortage of staff, how do you turn these promises into reality?