Government to Appoint First National Dementia Tsar
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched the search for England’s first national dementia tsar, following sustained pressure from charities calling for dementia to be given the same priority as cancer within the health system.
A job advertisement published on the department’s website confirms the successful candidate will be expected to deliver “the leadership, focus and accountability needed to drive change with urgency, ambition and sustained focus.”
The postholder will report directly to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and will receive an annual salary of £171,600 for the full-time position.
The advert was published only hours after Social Care Minister Alison McGovern addressed the Alzheimer’s Society’s annual conference in London, telling delegates that dementia “has been neglected for far too long” and that patients and their families are too often left to cope with a fragmented system during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
According to the official advertisement, the role is intended to support the Prime Minister’s pledge to reform adult social care, and will carry “the full weight of the government behind it.”
The successful candidate will be tasked with setting strategic direction, uniting partners across sectors, and speeding up progress across government, the NHS, social care, research, life sciences and the voluntary sector.
Applicants will need a track record in senior leadership positions, with clear evidence of shaping national policy, driving system-wide reform, or overseeing major public service delivery.
Notably, while personal or professional experience of dementia’s impact — whether through lived experience, family involvement, or caring responsibilities — is regarded favourably, the advert lists this as desirable rather than essential.
Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive Officer at Alzheimer’s Society said: “We welcome the start of the recruitment process for the Dementia Tsar, recommended by Baroness Casey. This will help dementia at last receive the attention that is so desperately needed and long overdue.
“A Dementia Tsar must be a catalyst for change and drive forward the progress we need in research, diagnosis and social care. They must champion dementia as both an NHS and social care priority and have the power to bring together leaders across all sectors. Above all they need to involve people living with dementia and their loved ones.
“This is a real opportunity for the UK government to deliver on their commitments and change the future for people living with dementia.”
The appointment is expected to be closely watched by care providers and charities alike, many of whom have long argued that dementia care requires the kind of coordinated national strategy and investment historically reserved for other major health conditions.
