New dementia strategy for Scotland: Everyone's Story

Why a Dementia Strategy?

"Dementia is all around us, in our families and in our genes; perhaps in our own futures. If it’s not you or me, it’s someone we love." Nicci Gerrard, Author

Some estimates suggest that 1 in 3 people born today will go on to develop dementia.

This dementia strategy for Scotland is important for us all. While clinical research continues in Scotland and globally to produce medicines to slow or modify symptoms of dementia, projected estimates show a 50% increase in the number of people with dementia over 65 over the next 20 years^[1]. Some estimates suggest 1 in 3 people born today will go on to develop dementia^[2].

This is a 10-year strategy. It sets out a vision for how life with dementia might be experienced and the policy, service and societal changes that are needed to support this. It describes what people living with dementia and their families have told us they want and expect and ‘what good looks like’ as people progress through dementia. We believe this step change will be cumulative and incremental and may take up to ten years to realise so, whilst measurable improvement will be evident in a shorter timeframe, we are realistic about the time societal change will take.

We know that Scotland and the wider world will change dramatically during that time and that what the Scottish Government, Convention Of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and delivery partners set out to do now will need to adapt and change as the strategy progresses.

This means that how the strategy is delivered needs to be clear and focussed, making the best use of resources at a time when we know money for individuals is tight, budgets are stretched and pressures on services and systems are intense.

Delivery Plans

Delivery plans will have a two-year lifespan, subject to review at 18 months.

To ensure we learn from what works, stimulate innovation and maintain relevance through the ten years, we will work collaboratively with our partners to produce a series of delivery plans that detail how key themes within the strategy will be delivered and when. Delivery plans will have a two-year lifespan, subject to review at 18 months. We believe that this will hold us to account on the long-term transformation we want to see and that people living with dementia and their care partners are entitled to expect.

This rolling programme of delivery plans will be informed, shaped and reviewed through the governance structures and wider stakeholder engagement, continuing the approach of our National Conversation to make sure this remains everyone’s strategy from now until 2033.

The first delivery plan will be agreed by end 2023 for delivery at the start of financial year 2024/25.