From blood tests to AI, new ways to diagnose dementia sooner and treat it faster set to be unlocked by new research challenge
New solutions to dramatically increase the number of patients receiving a timely formal diagnosis of dementia are to be rolled out by the end of the decade, Science Minister Lord Vallance sets out today (Friday 24 October).
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With one million people in the UK living with dementia - a number expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040 - researchers and industry have been backed by £5 million of initial funding to come up with ideas to improve the quality of life for those living with this devastating disease and ease pressure on the NHS.
The aim is that, by 2029, more than 92% of patients could be diagnosed within 18 weeks of a doctor’s referral – up from less than half currently.
Solutions could include ramping up work on blood tests that spot the build-up of proteins associated with dementia, or saliva analysis that notices hormone changes at the early stages of a fading memory, or even before symptoms have begun to show.
Such breakthroughs would mark a significant shift from traditional tests relying on noticeable signs of decline and could allow early treatment to help manage symptoms, slowing progression through lifestyle changes, and improving quality of life of people with dementia.
Other potential solutions could see the development of AI-powered daily routine assistants which work through smart speakers or tablet devices and learn the activities someone enjoys and their cognitive abilities – from suggesting brain training exercises, offering reminders for daily tasks, helping with simple cooking instructions or facilitating video calls with family.
With 1 in 4 acute hospital beds occupied by a person with dementia in England, these tools will help more people to get the care they need, when they need it, and in their community, supporting the NHS as we build a health service fit for the future.
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The challenge was announced by Science Minister Lord Vallance on a visit to the UK Dementia Research Institute in Cambridge, where he spoke to researchers working to tackle a disease that affects so many families across the country.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said:
The Dementia Patient Flow R&I Challenge is the third of 5 to be announced as part of the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme – backed by £500 million set out in the Spending Review. The programme, coordinated by UK Research and Innovation, marks the first time government has set clear, measurable and stretched targets for R&D to deliver its core missions - with more challenges to be unveiled in the coming months.
The announcement also comes alongside further support for those with dementia, with UKRI announcing £1.2 million for 2 projects accelerating innovation in digital cognitive assessments. The funding will support Kneu Health - a University of Oxford spinout – in developing innovative smartphone-based cognitive assessment technology that combines digital testing with analysis of ‘biomarkers’ – molecules in the body which can indicate illness – to enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis of cognitive conditions. The biomarkers research is running via Dementias Platform UK’s READ-OUT study.
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The system will allow patients to complete assessments at their clinic appointment and at home, providing doctors with comprehensive profiles that helps to prioritise treatment.
And it will support Food for the Brain Foundation’s web-based test that assesses 4 key areas of brain function - thinking speed, memory, recognition and decision-making - and can be completed in the clinic and at home using standard web browsers, before being integrated into NHS services.
Together this work will help to build on existing projects committed to transforming dementia treatment including the Blood Biomarker Challenge, work through the UK Dementia Research Institute to trial technologies like cameras and sensors which detect dementia earlier and the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, which is accelerating innovations in biomarkers, clinical trials and implementation.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:
Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
Notes to Editors
Reporting for June 2025 indicates that 46.8% of people referred for assessment waited longer than 18 weeks for diagnosis.
The government’s R&D Missions Accelerator Programme is a new multi-year programme with £500 million funding announced in the Spending Review, building on £25 million in 2025/2026. The funding will be divided between the 5 Missions. For 2025/2026, up to £5 million of spend will be put towards the Dementia Patient Flow R&I Challenge and scoping activities to inform the wider Mission. Further information will be available on the UKRI website in the coming months. UKRI will work closely with other funders of research, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with a shared goal of improving outcomes for people impacted by Dementia.
The Blood Biomarker Challenge seeks to produce the clinical and economic data for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia and is co-funded by Government alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Gates Ventures and the People’s Postcode Lottery.
UKRI’s Innovate UK is announcing £1.2million for 2 projects accelerating innovation in digital cognitive assessments, alongside blood biomarker (molecules in the body which can indicate illness) research already running via Dementias Platform UK’s READ-OUT study. This will test if the combination of blood and digital testing can provide more accurate diagnoses of cognitive conditions across the NHS, as part of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative System Preparedness work.