REMEMBER Fiona Phillips, television presenter? She was diagnosed at the age of 61 with Alzheimer’s disease. Her parents had the disease; Fiona has campaigned to raise awareness and to advocate for others. I heard about this when her husband, Martin Frizell, appeared on BBC news to tell us of the isolation, the anxiety and heartache caused by his wife’s illness. He spoke passionately and angrily about the need for more support and more resources.

One in three people born in the UK will have dementia. There is no cure. Dementia was the leading cause of UK death in 2023; the number of cases is increasing significantly. By 2040, Alzheimer’s Society predicts, the number of people with dementia could be 1.4 million. The numbers and the terrible impact on individuals and families must make it a priority. Is there a glimmer of light?

The government’s Ten-Year Plan acknowledges the challenges. Thousands more GPs are promised; appointments, test results and care plans will be accessed in one place; Neighbourhood Health Services are intended to to provide support more easily and conveniently. (Travelling to hospitals can be intimidating and, sometimes, impossible for patients with dementia.) The Modern Framework, it seems, will set clearer standards re. tests and treatments while improving service co-ordination. Another important commitment is to speed up clinical trials.

We already know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle so there’s also an intention to introduce warnings on alcohol, to create a ‘smoke-free’ generation and to make supermarkets take responsibility for the stuff they sell. Nanny State? I’m not sure about that. Car seats keep us safer. The sugar tax on soft drinks may have had a beneficial effect. It’s worth a try. Outlawing smoking from public spaces has definitely helped us. If we can do something, however little, to mitigate the incidence and/or the severity of dementia, we have to do it.

It’ll be some time before the Ten-Year Plan comes fully into effect. It’s been a long time coming, rather like Harlow’s Biosecurity Centre (Thank you, Chris Vince MP!) which will research new vaccines as well as working on life-changing, innovative treatments. Maybe a treatment for dementia will be discovered. Let’s hope for that.

In the meantime, Harlow offers several opportunities which build confidence, with a good dollop of fun. The one I know best is run by Action for Family Carers: it can be found on Wednesdays in St Andrew’s Church Hall in The Stow and it lifts people’s spirits. Last week one participant told me she feels happier now she’s in the group, explaining “It’s because I’m with people.”

People can really make quite a difference.