Stunell calls for free treatment for Alzheimer's sufferers

12.11.15pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 25th Oct 2005

Andrew with the Alzheimer's Elephant

Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell has criticised the government for plans to exclude Alzheimer's sufferers from free treatment on the NHS.

Andrew Stunell MP said:

"I am extremely concerned that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is considering withdrawing NHS funding for Alzheimer's drugs. Many local residents have written to me alarmed at the prospect of not being able to afford the drugs in the future.

"The drugs make a real difference to the quality of life of thousands of people with dementia and their carers, and cost only £2.50 per day. If the Government go through with this they will end the historic inclusiveness of the NHS for all patients.

"Already Alzheimer's sufferers are charged for essential care, such as help with washing, eating and using the toilet.

"It is time the Government started to take Alzheimer's seriously. It is a growing problem with estimates that there will be 870,000 people with dementia in the UK by 2010, and by 1.8 million by 2050.

"I am calling for the Government to commit to giving free treatment and care to the 750,000 Alzheimer's sufferers in the UK, who urgently need it."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Andrew Stunell MP is supporting a series of motions to Parliament on this issue:

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

That this House congratulates the Department of Health on negotiating a reduction in the cost of branded drugs to the NHS of £112 million in the first five months of 2005; believes that these savings should be made available for other treatments; notes the recent draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which, if upheld, would deny effective treatments to thousands of people with Alzheimer's disease, undermining the historic inclusiveness of the NHS for all patients; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health carefully to consider the representations made by patient groups to the current NICE Social Values Consultation, and to ensure a further draft is circulated for consultation before final decisions are made which might disadvantage certain patient groups.

ALZHEIMER'S AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE DECISION

That this House expresses its deep concern that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal committee has rejected the responses to the consultation on Alzheimer's drugs and has not yet approved prescription of these drugs on the NHS; believes that these drugs are both clinically and cost effective; notes that NICE agrees that the drugs provide clinical benefits; further notes that the average cost of treatment is £2.50 per day; further notes that thousands of people with dementia and their carers have made representations to NICE that these drugs improve quality of life; further notes that an alliance of leading patient and professional organisations in dementia care and research has been launched to campaign for fair access to drug treatments for people with dementia on the NHS; agrees with the Action on Alzheimer's Drugs Alliance that effective drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease should be available on the NHS; fears that NICE has failed to consider the important concerns raised by the Department of Health about its draft guidance; and calls upon the Government to ensure that these concerns are addressed.

NHS PRESCRIPTION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE DRUGS

That this House notes that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued draft guidance in which it is stated that drug treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease should not be prescribed on the NHS; believes such guidance to be wrong as it fails to recognise the benefits of drugs to the quality of life of dementia sufferers and their carers and neither acknowledges the clinical effectiveness of such treatments nor recognises the fact that the funding of memory clinics and other specialist services for people with dementia would almost certainly be withdrawn if this decision is not reversed; and calls upon the Government to intervene and respond to the wishes of the thousands of sufferers, their carers, consultants, doctors, Alzheimer's Society members and others to call a halt to NICE's direction away from helpful treatments of dementia on the basis of financial cost.

NURSING CARE FOR THOSE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

That this House expresses its deep concern at the continuing crisis in care for the elderly and in particular those who suffer from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia; notes that the Government's current definition of nursing care fails to include nursing care that is provided by trained care staff specialised in providing nursing care to dementia sufferers; recognises the campaign by the Alzheimer's Society; and calls upon the Government to address the shortcomings of its nursing care policy which has been described by many as unworkable.