The son of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Hull MP John Prescott raised more than £6,000 in donations running the London Marathon in his campaign to put dementia ‘at the very heart’ of the Government’s upcoming 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS after his father died from Alzheimer’s disease.
David Prescott, the founder of Hull PR and social media consultancy Larkin PR was running in memory of his father and for the UK’s leading dementia research charity Alzheimer’s Research UK. He completed the marathon in 5 hours 27 minutes at the weekend.
Dementia has become the biggest killer of people in the UK and nearly a million are currently living with the condition. But more than a third of those with dementia have not been diagnosed.
READ MORE: Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon steps down from “lifetime privilege” role at broadcaster
Prescott said: “It was probably the most remarkable day of my life. It was very humbling to run with so many people prepared to endure the heat and the distance to raise money for causes close to their heart and in memory of their loved ones.
“The crowds were amazing and did more to get us round the course than energy drinks and gels. It was quite emotional running past the Houses of Parliament and I took time to remember my dad.
“But I put myself through it not only for him, but the almost million people living with dementia in the UK and the families who’ve lost relatives to this cruel disease.”
Dementia is now the biggest killer of people in the UK, even more than cancer and it costs the economy £42 bn per year, two thirds of that met by families in unpaid care.
Prescott added: “Families put their lives and careers on hold to care for their loved ones and give 1.3 billion hours of unpaid care each year. Families face enormous pressures as they try to cope on this journey of care.
“But dementia research receives significantly less funding compared to other serious health conditions. For every four cancer researchers in the UK, there’s only one dementia researcher. Unlike cancer, which can be treated and go into remission, dementia sadly ends in death.
“That’s why I’m going to continue to campaign with Alzheimer’s Research UK to call on the Government to put dementia at the very heart of its upcoming 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS.”
David and Alzheimer’s Research UK are calling for the Government to:
1. Grow long-term funding for dementia research and back the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals Programme which aims to accelerate dementia research.
2. Enable NHS patients to be among the first in the world to benefit from cutting-edge dementia treatments.
3. Protect lifelong brain health with a cross-governmental strategy for the prevention of ill health. The government’s upcoming 10-year health plan should support a cross-government strategy for the prevention of ill-health, which includes both population-wide and targeted interventions.
4. Develop more accessible routes to dementia diagnosis, treatment, and research, by investing in emerging healthcare models in the NHS such as Brain Health Clinics.
5. Drive earlier and accurate diagnosis through investment and piloting innovation in the NHS. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan should set out a roadmap to scale up existing diagnostics, harnessing technological innovations which could revolutionise diagnosis, including blood tests, digital cognitive tests, saliva tests, eye scans and ultra-rapid MRI.
Prescott continued: “With new treatments and blood tests being developed to provide early diagnosis, we are at a tipping point in the fight against dementia. That’s why it’s crucial there’s a clear long-term government and NHS strategy to tackle the condition in the10 Year Health Plan.
“I’d like to see us show the same drive and determination that led to the Covid vaccine so we can manage and eventually defeat this hateful disease.
“People in their autumn years have spent decades building up memories which provide them with comfort and happiness. Dementia cruelly robs them of these memories just when they need them most.”
Almost one million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, a condition caused by diseases, most commonly Alzheimer’s. Despite this there are no treatments available on the NHS to slow, stop or prevent dementia.
Alzheimer’s Research UK exists to change that by funding life-changing research to revolutionise the way dementia is treated, diagnosed and prevented.
Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re so proud of David for taking on this year’s London Marathon for Alzheimer’s Research UK, in honour of his father Lord John Prescott.
“David’s marathon efforts will help to raise much-needed awareness and funding to accelerate our search for a cure.”
The charity – which recently welcomed back Rt Hon Lord David Cameron as its president – invested over £27 million in dementia research last year.
People can still donate by going to David’s JustGiving page at www.davidprescott.co.uk.
