MS, Minister for Mental
Health and Wellbeing: I have this week published
the Dementia Action Plan
Evaluation, which will inform the successor arrangements to
the current Dementia Action Plan and help shape our priorities
for the future.
In 2019, the Welsh Government commissioned Opinion Research
Services to assess the implementation and impact of
the Dementia Action
Plan against its aims and objectives with a
particular focus on the provision of person-centred care and
support. The evaluation was carried out in several stages.
This is the final evaluation report.
The evidence suggests the plan has positively transformed the
dementia landscape in Wales and advanced person-centred care and
support in a number of areas:
- Service development – The plan has led to improved
multi-disciplinary working among healthcare providers,
enhanced memory assessment services and promoted person-centred
care and community-level prevention and awareness activities.
- Strategic priority – Dementia has become a focus for health
boards and local authorities, encouraging partnership working,
co-production, and holistic approaches to patient care. This has
led to more integrated services and a stronger emphasis on the
overall well-being of people living with
dementia.
While the evaluation highlights several areas where progress has
been made, it is also clear that this is a long-term journey to
optimise care and support for people living with dementia.
The evaluation concluded with a series of recommendations for the
Welsh Government, Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs),
organisations, and service providers to consider for future
dementia service provision. These recommendations relate to
themes such as implementation and monitoring, assessment and
diagnosis, post-diagnosis support, access to person-centred
provision and support for carers. They provide a meaningful
roadmap that set out some of the key objectives to be achieved
within the successor arrangements to the Dementia Action
Plan.
I am committed to ensuring we continue to make progress on
dementia care and support in Wales, and that this will be driven
forward in the successor to the Dementia Action Plan. Discussions
have started with the Dementia Oversight and Implementation
Group (DOIIG) and other key stakeholders to develop the
approach to learning from the evaluation and developing the
priorities for the successor arrangements.
Work on the priorities for the future plan has started with the
publication of an online questionnaire to gather views about the
key areas where we need to focus our future engagement. This
marks the start of what will be thorough and wide-reaching
engagement throughout 2025.
I recognise, and I am grateful for the commitment and compassion
of all those who play a role in caring for people living with
dementia. This includes our NHS, social services, the third
sector, and importantly, carers and families. We look forward to
working collaboratively with you to ensure your voices help shape
our long-term plan to improve the care and support for people
living with dementia.
