A business case for a specialist therapy programme to treat people with mild to moderate dementia has not yet been approved in Hertfordshire, it has been revealed.

A report outlining the first year of Hertfordshire’s Dementia Strategy and Delivery Plan was shown to members of the county’s health and wellbeing board on Thursday (July 11).

The plan was approved in January 2023, and formally launched in February 2024. It was devised with help from people with lived experience of dementia, many of them carers.

The report revealed that a business case was made for a treatment plan, ‘Cognitive Stimulation Therapy’ – a programme of mental exercises found to be effective on people with mild to moderate dementia – but it has not moved forward for approval.

The report stated: “With the advent of new disease modifying drugs, and new understanding around changes in lifestyle that help delay progression, it is increasingly important that people in the early stages of the disease are identified and given appropriate treatment and support as soon as possible.

“As part of the prevention aspects of the Dementia Strategy, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is a therapy that has been found helpful in people with mild cognitive decline in improving memory and thinking skills, and in delaying the onset of full dementia symptoms.

“A business case for the therapy was developed by NHS Hertfordshire Partnership University Foundation Trust and Hertswise but has not progressed for approval. As part of the Health Workstream, this will be reviewed and refreshed.”

The county-wide strategy has seven key areas for helping people with dementia and their families, including:

  • Promoting Health and Wellbeing
  • Enabling Equitable and Timely Access to Diagnosis
  • Ensuring people with dementia have equitable access to appropriate health and care services
  • Supporting people affected by Young Onset Dementia
  • Supporting Carers of People with Dementia
  • Preventing and Responding to Crisis
  • Developing Dementia Friendly Communities

The report stated that as well as older people, around 7.5 per cent of people who have dementia are under the age of 65 and that there are “significant gaps in services” suitable for those with early on-set and rare dementias, leading to it being included in the list of seven priorities.

There are also 13 actions earmarked for older people with dementia.

The report concludes: “While there is still much work to do, the first year of the dementia strategy delivery plan has been busy, with significant engagement from providers, statutory organisations, health partners, and stakeholders.

“The interface between the dementia delivery steering group and dementia co-production board provides excellent strategic and operational focus, and we will be building on this in the coming year to enable deep dives into particular topics and maintain the focus on people and communities as being an integral part of the transformation process.

“The accreditation proposal is a key ambition to achieving this, providing a single recognisable brand that can bring all sectors together and show collaborative leadership across the county in this area.

“We are also working hard to ensure that there is a continued focus on preventing decline and supporting people to live well with the condition, including recognising the needs of family carers, the value of peer support, and enabling local community services in their own neighbourhoods.”