Leading UK organisations have joined together to launch the Geller Commission in a bid to kickstart an independent review of dementia-related hospital occupancy.
The commission has called on the health sector and the public to support the review, as dementia could cost the UK economy over £1bn a week by 2025, according to Julian Jessop, a commission member who is an independent economist formerly of HM Treasury.
The review has a singular goal: deliver practical recommendations to improve clinical pathways for dementia patients, ranging from pre-admission to hospital discharge.
The Geller Commission is a collaboration between organisations such as:
- Alzheimer’s Society
- Dementia UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute
- World Dementia Council
- Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory at the University of West London
The commission was launched earlier this week at a private event which was attended by MPs researchers and clinicians, where its founder and chair, Laurence Geller CBE, said: “It is my hope that by convening this Commission, we can find practical solutions to improve the lives of people living with the impact of a dementia diagnosis and reduce undue pressure on the health service.”
Also speaking at the event was Kate Lee, the chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, who highlighted how more than 900,000 people in the UK are currently living with dementia.
She said: “Dementia is the biggest health and social care challenge of our time, and with an ageing population and prevalence on the rise the time for reform is now.
“A whole-system problem needs a whole-system solution – that is why we hope that this joint enterprise will gather the evidence needed to make real change for people living with dementia, and their families.”
The review will investigate how the NHS can harness the UK’s research infrastructure, digital technologies and clinical excellence to improve care and reduce hospital admissions.
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