MP Meets Local Residents at ‘Forget Me Not’ March

Local MP, Robert Key welcomed local constituents to parliament as part of the Alzheimer’s Society ‘Remember Those Who Forget’ rally to voice their concerns about people with dementia being discriminated against by the NHS.

Local residents from Salisbury highlighted the strength of feeling about the policy of means testing people with dementia for care, which results from their medical condition, such as help from care assistants with eating, washing and using the toilet. They also discussed their shock and concern at the National Institute of Clinical Excellence’s (Nice) draft guidance, which proposes that drug treatments that work for people with Alzheimer’s should be withdrawn from the NHS because of cost.

Robert Key said: ‘I was delighted to meet my constituents and discuss these very important issues. I support the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Remember those who forget’ campaign. I will be pressing the Government to change their policy on charging for care, and voicing my concerns about the Nice proposal. It seems extremely worrying that vulnerable people with dementia are being treated in this way.’

Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “I am delighted that Robert Key supports our campaign to end charging for care and will urge Nice to change their scandalous proposal on withdrawing drug treatments that work for people with dementia. Today hundreds of people with dementia and their carers have demonstrated how abandoned they feel by the current policy on charging for care. They represent the thousands of people across the country who have been affected by this common and degenerative condition. We must make sure that their voices are heard.”

One in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80 have a form of dementia. As dementia progresses, people find it impossible to eat, wash or go to the toilet by themselves. People with dementia have an illness that needs highly skilled care, just like any other chronic condition. However, discriminatory funding criteria for long term care means that thousands of vulnerable people with dementia have to pay for this essential care.

There were five hundred people taking part in the lobby from across the country. MPs were met by constituents carrying forget me not flowers and each MP was presented with a pack of forget me not seeds to help them remember those who forget in the next election. The lobby also coincided with the launch of the Alzheimer’s Society’s manifesto for people with dementia. The manifesto highlights the top ten issues that people with dementia and their carers would like to see the government tackle; top of their agenda was an end to charging for care and the availability of drug treatments. The Alzheimer’s Society will be asking all candidates and political parties at the general election to explain how they intend to do more to support people with dementia and their carers.