Sandra Gidley Says "Government Short Sighted on Alzheimer's Research"

12.00.00am GMT Wed 7th Mar 2007

In the wake of recent reports on the rising cost of dementia in the UK from economic and psychiatric experts, Sandra Gidley MP says the lack of priority for Government funding of research into Alzheimer's disease is "Short-sighted, considering the long term benefits of being able to manage the disease better for an increasing number of people."

The Romsey MP has backed a House of Commons motion supporting the campaign by the Alzheimer's Research Trust to increase the Government funding of Alzheimer's disease research.

The Early Day Motion (EDM) argues that funding is not keeping pace with the rising prevalence of the disease as the UK population ages. The EDM has cross-party support and has been signed by over 150 MPs.

The report from the London School of Economics and the Institute of Psychiatry forecast both confirmed the long-term problem of nearly a million more people with dementia in the UK by 2050. The report calls for a national debate about who pays for their care.

The researchers' investigations reveal caring for one person with late-onset dementia costs an average of £25,472 per year. The total cost to the UK of dementia is £17 billion a year. Currently, the bulk of this cost is met by people with dementia and their families.

Sandra added, "There are approximately 700,000 people with dementia in the UK and the figure is rising, but only 2% of Medical Research Council funding is allocated to Alzheimer's disease. There is no cure, long-term treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's yet it is predicted to be a major cause of disability for people in the future as the population ages. Surely we should boost the advances in our understanding of the disease and new approaches to treatment and prevention being made here in the UK to ensure better health for older people? We need more research funding urgently."

Alzheimer's disease costs the UK more in care than cancer, stroke and heart disease combined but receives only a tenth of the Government research funding allocated to cancer - just £11 per patient per year compared to £289 per cancer patient. The EDM also supports the aims of the leading Alzheimer's research charity in the UK, the Alzheimer's Research Trust (ART), which is dedicated to encouraging and funding cutting-edge UK research.

For further information or to speak to Sandra Gidley MP or the Alzheimer's Research Trust's Chief Executive Rebecca Wood, please contact the charity's press officer Maria Hampton on 01223 843304 or email press@alzheimers-research.org.uk

Notes to Editor

• The Early Day Motion (EDM 265 Research Funding for Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Treatment and Cure) was tabled on November 23rd by Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam Paul Burstow.

• It reads: 'This House notes that 2006-7 marks a century of Alzheimer's being a recognized and researched illness; notes with concern that there are still over 750,000 people with dementia in the UK; further notes the rising prevalence of Alzheimer's disease which accounts for over half the cases of dementia; is concerned that Alzheimer's costs nearly ten times as much as cancer to treat per year but receives a tenth of the Government's research funding allocated to cancer each year; and welcomes the Alzheimer's Research Trust campaign in urging the Government to increase funding and promote further research into the diagnosis, treatment and a possible cure for Alzheimer's.

• 155 MPs have signed the EDM as of 7 February 2007. Visit http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi/ and search for EDM no. 265 to find the latest tally.