Conservatives must address crisis in dementia care

Responding to the Alzheimer's Society's open letter to the PM demanding care reform for those with dementia, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Sir Vince Cable said "The crisis in social care is particularly devastating for people with dementia and their families. Not only are they regularly having to spend £100,000 on care costs, often that care is not enough or inappropriate for people's needs."

Sir Vince added "It has been two and a half years since the Conservatives said they would resolve the crisis in social care provision and nearly four years since the they shelved the cross-party agreement achieved under Sir Andrew Dilnot which agreed a fairer distribution of the costs of care. Since then they have delayed and delayed, all the while families and individuals are having to spend excessive amounts on their own care. We demand better for people with dementia and their families. The Liberal Democrats have been calling for a penny in the pound on income tax to give social care the direct cash injection it needs as a first step to address the funding problems. We would also work cross-party to ensure that any measures put in place were sustainable."