§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health why it was decided not to include dementia and arthritis as key areas for action in his "Health of the Nation" report; and whether he proposes to ask public health directors to report on the demand for services for dementia and arthritis sufferers in their assessments of health needs.
§ Mr. DorrellDementia and arthritis were not discussed and proposed in "The Health of the Nation" as areas in which health targets might be set because despite their importance they did not meet the proposed criteria for selection set out in the Green Paper. Directors of public health are already required to assess the health needs of the local population to inform their local health authority's decisions about the provision of services, including those for people suffering from dementia and arthritis. Progress in meeting needs is included in public health directors' reports to their regional health authorities and to the Department.