Arlene Phillips and Vicky McClure ask Rishi Sunak to prioritize dementia

Stars will deliver an open letter launched by the Alzheimer's Society and signed by more than 36,000 members of the public in Downing Street - it will urge the government to keep its promises its dementia commitments

Dame Arlene Phillips is an ambassador for the Alzheimer Society (

Image: SWNS)

Dame Arlene Phillips and Vicky McClure are today calling on the government to deliver on its dementia promises.

The stars will deliver an open letter signed by more than 36,000 members of the public to Rishi Sunak.

The letter, launched by the Alzheimer Society, urges the government to deliver on its commitments to boost dementia research, diagnosis rates and improve care.

The charity says it is concerned that pledges are "not being kept" after the government said the delivery of its ten-year dementia plan was "on schedule" 25 times.

There are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK.

That number is expected to rise to 1.6 million people by 2040, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer Society.

Research suggests that people wait up to two years for a diagnosis.

The charity warns that the breakthrough drug Lecanemab, which has been shown to slow cognitive decline, “will be meaningless” if diagnoses remain slow and inaccurate.

Three in five people with dementia have struggled to get social care in the past year, the charity also said.

Half of caregivers said they had found themselves in a crisis situation, such as rushing their loved one to the emergency room due to a lack of support.

The government has pledged to reform the welfare system and double spending on dementia research by 2024.

Former Justice Strictly Dame Arlene said: "Sadly, like thousands of families across the country, I have seen the toll that dementia can have, while caring for my own father.

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"This letter is loud and clear: honor these commitments and provide people living with dementia in this country with the care and support they deserve."

Line of Duty actress Ms McClure said: "The government is failing people with dementia. I've seen this firsthand with members of my Our Dementia choir finding themselves alone and in struggling after a diagnosis, not knowing where to get the support they desperately need.

"The social workers they depend on are often utterly broken and exhausted, trying to provide care while being overwhelmed, underpaid and undertrained by a deep workforce crisis."

Kate Lee, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer Society, said: "Too many people still face dementia alone, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has the opportunity to seize this moment and truly transform research, diagnosis and dementia care for one of the biggest health challenges in the UK.

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