As part of the government’s historic devolution agreement, new decision making and spending powers are being given to Greater Manchester from April 2016. One of the early health and Social Care priorities for this work is dementia.

Over the next five years, through working with partners across Greater Manchester this work aims to improve the lived experiences of people with dementia, and reduce pressure on the health and Social Care system. In short, Dementia United is aiming to make Greater Manchester the best place in the world to live for people with dementia.

Dementia is one of the greatest health challenges facing the country and Greater Manchester at the moment. In Greater Manchester alone, it’s estimated there are currently over 30,000 people living with dementia. With an ageing population and rising numbers of people being diagnosed with dementia, there’s no question that it is a challenge that requires urgent attention.

At the moment, care and support for people living with dementia is variable across Greater Manchester. How long it takes for you to get a dementia diagnosis, how much support you will get after a diagnosis, and how you will be looked after in hospital varies significantly from one part of Greater Manchester to another.

Too many people have to battle for years to get a dementia diagnosis, struggle for months with the complex web of care and support they have to navigate, and stay in hospital longer than they need to, because our NHS and social services aren’t joined up.

But ‘Dementia United’ is a chance to change this. With local decision making, and working alongside some of Greater Manchester’s greatest assets – from The University of Salford’s Institute for Dementia and MediaCityUK in Salford to the academic community of Oxford Road – we have a chance to revolutionise the experiences of people affected by dementia.