A new group that brings together members of the public and dementia sector stakeholders has set out an ambitious vision for the future of dementia care.
Convened by the University of Northampton (UON), the initiative comes ahead of the publication of a major new county-wide health and care strategy.
Jointly hosted by the University, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), and Northamptonshire Carers, the Brain Health and Dementia Coproduction Forum launch event – on Wednesday 15 July – welcomed professionals and members of the public with a vested interest in action to address one of the pressing health concerns of the present day.
Dementia is an umbrella term that covers conditions that result in cognitive decline or impairment, such as memory loss, usually as we age.
Dementia currently affects an estimated 982,000 people nationally and this is projected to increase to 1 million by 2030. There are currently an estimated 9,163 people affected in Northamptonshire and possibly just over 55,000 in the East Midlands.
This means urgent action is needed to develop treatments or programmes to delay the onset of dementia, or perhaps even find a cure.
UON dementia projects lead Professor Jackie Parkes opened the launch event.
The launch – attended by more than 100 people – included expert-led talks about the county’s dementia strategy, what co-production means for forum members, and projects that are helping people from underserved groups, such as Northampton’s black community.
Personal reflections about living with dementia and how he has informed multiple, collaborative projects came from special guest Pete Middleton (below).
These speeches led to table discussions that covered topics guided by the ‘pillars’ outlined by the county’s dementia strategy: Preventing Well, Diagnosing Well, Supporting Well, Living Well, Dying Well, Leading/researching Well.
The next immediate steps for the group are to host the first official forum meeting in September 2026 to continue important discussions around the six pillars of the county’s dementia strategy. The forum will, in time, be led by Northamptonshire Carers with backing from the University.
Co-organising the event was UON researcher Dr Natasha Bayes who said: “Our Brain Health and Dementia Coproduction Forum will address our ambition for people to have positive access, experience and outcomes. By doing so, we want to identify where there may be health inequalities. This takes the forum from being a discussing and listening group to one that actions solutions and will align well with the forthcoming dementia strategy for Northamptonshire.
“The team and I would like to thank everyone for their interest and input in our first forum event – there was a palpable energy and thirst for knowledge and discovery in the room, even before the talks and workshops started.
“The forum will hold regular meetings and other events throughout the year. If you are interested in joining but missed the launch event, please get in touch with me on email to find out more and how to join the forum. The first official meeting is planned to take place in September 2026.”
The forum was made possible by internal funding from the University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange (KEE) team. Funding and support from the KEE team can develop pilot data for larger, external grant applications, foster collaboration and public engagement, assist with bridging funding, or help create ‘spin-out’ businesses and other entrepreneurial ventures.