LONDON — The United Kingdom's national research agency is backing a plan to accelerate dementia testing with up to £80 million in funding. The initiative aims to improve diagnosis rates across the country and reduce patient waiting times that currently extend beyond a year.
UK Research and Innovation, known as UKRI, announced Friday that nine new technologies will undergo trials within the National Health Service. These include faster brain scans, advanced blood tests and a 15-minute remote cognitive assessment.
The project targets diagnosing 92 percent of patients within 18 weeks of referral, up from the current rate of approximately 60 percent.
One key project seeks to shorten MRI brain scans to about seven minutes from the current 20-minute average, allowing more patients to be scanned and lowering overall costs, UKRI said.
Other technologies under trial include an artificial intelligence tool to predict dementia progression, digital tools to track changes in memory and thinking, and a home sensor system to enable earlier intervention by doctors.
UKRI said only projects demonstrating clear benefits in NHS testing will receive additional funding. This "fail-fast" approach aims to expedite adoption of effective technologies.
Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said dementia "has been neglected for far too long." Andy Hill, UKRI Health Mission Challenge Director, said more people die from dementia than any other illness in the United Kingdom, accounting for almost one in eight deaths. Over 72,000 people across the UK died from dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, last year.
