{"id":82306,"date":"2017-07-06T14:58:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T14:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=85556c0c97f3d8741a16b7fb2d75e9da"},"modified":"2017-07-06T14:58:00","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T14:58:00","slug":"speech-dementia-friendly-transport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=82306","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Dementia friendly transport"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Good morning, everyone.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a pleasure to be here today (6 July 2017), not least because it\u2019s the first time I get to use my new job title in full \u2014 Minister for Rail, Accessibility and HS2.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a slightly longer one than I had previously.<\/p>\n

I used to just be Rail Minister.<\/p>\n

But though I am new to the accessibility brief, I am not new to the issues.<\/p>\n

Accessibility in its broadest sense has always been an interest of mine.<\/p>\n

Before I became a minister I chaired the Young Disabled People\u2019s All Party Parliamentary Group.<\/p>\n

And, sadly, I am not new to the challenge of dementia.<\/p>\n

I represent a predominantly older constituency, and many people who either live with dementia or care for those who do.<\/p>\n

Social change<\/h2>\n

Yet recently I\u2019ve been reflecting on how society is changing in its attitude to dementia.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s given me cause for optimism.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long ago that dementia was a taboo subject.<\/p>\n

If it was talked about, it would be in hushed tones.<\/p>\n

And there was a feeling that perhaps you wouldn\u2019t be thanked if you raised it in polite company.<\/p>\n

But things are changing.<\/p>\n

Partly because it\u2019s more prevalent than ever.<\/p>\n

But also because of organisations such as the Alzheimer\u2019s Society and its volunteers.<\/p>\n

Your work has helped give people with dementia a voice.<\/p>\n

And this morning I\u2019d like to set out a few ways in which that voice is being listened to.<\/p>\n

Both by the government and by transport operators.<\/p>\n

2020 ambition for dementia<\/h2>\n

Now, I know that the prime minister has an ambition that by 2020 we should be the best country in the world for people with dementia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And we are making progress.<\/p>\n

Over 2 million people in England have become Dementia Friends, for instance.<\/p>\n

I am glad to say that I am one of them.<\/p>\n

But our aim is to increase that number to at least 4 million.<\/p>\n

But if we are to truly succeed, we need every section of our economy to take action.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019d like to mention a few things that we\u2019re doing to improve transport.<\/p>\n

Mobility centres<\/h2>\n

First, there\u2019s the work being done by our mobility centres.<\/p>\n

Each year we provide funding just shy of 4 and a half million pounds to 13 mobility centres in England to conduct driving assessments.<\/p>\n

Demand for those assessments is increasing 10%, year on year.<\/p>\n

And the largest area of increase is people living with dementia.<\/p>\n

Now, there\u2019s often a lot of fear and anxiety about people being told they can\u2019t drive any more.<\/p>\n

But, actually, the mobility centres\u2019 role is to enable people to keep driving safely wherever they can.<\/p>\n

And more often than not, that is what they achieve.<\/p>\n

Last year, just over 2,000 people referred to the mobility centres were advised to stop driving.<\/p>\n

But almost 5,000 more were supported to continue driving safely.<\/p>\n

And an increasing number of those will be people already living with dementia.<\/p>\n

So a diagnosis of dementia is not in itself a reason to stop driving.<\/p>\n

The important thing is to keep people safe through relying on proper evidence, not snap judgements.<\/p>\n

And because we insist on evidence \u2014 evidence that\u2019s improving all the time \u2014 today 1 in 3 people with dementia are still able to drive safely.<\/p>\n

Bus Services Act provisions<\/h2>\n

Of course, we also need to do more for people who cannot or choose not to drive.<\/p>\n

For them, public transport is a lifeline.<\/p>\n

It keeps them in touch with friends and family and provides access to healthcare.<\/p>\n

So I was really pleased that just before the election our Bus Services Act was approved by parliament<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It provides powers to ensure that buses make both audible and visual announcements about the route and the next stop.<\/p>\n

This simple reassurance of being reminded where the bus is heading and the next stop could make all the difference to someone with dementia.<\/p>\n

So this year we will work with the bus industry, passengers and disability groups to develop the policy.<\/p>\n

Travel to appointments competition<\/h2>\n

This intervention is a classic case of where improving technology can offer new solutions.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s huge potential here.<\/p>\n

But innovation works best when it\u2019s aimed at a specific problem that needs to be solved.<\/p>\n

Consider, for example, the need to travel to medical appointments.<\/p>\n

Everyone knows how stressful it can be to get to an appointment on time.<\/p>\n

Especially when it\u2019s in a big, unfamiliar hospital in a part of town you otherwise rarely visit.<\/p>\n

Well, consider how difficult that experience can be for people with dementia.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so difficult, in fact, that too often they don\u2019t make to the appointment at all.<\/p>\n

And for those who do get there, they could arrive in a state of distress.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a problem too \u2014 feeling calm is important if the doctor is to make a proper dementia assessment, or to recommend the right treatment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also just a horrible experience to go through.<\/p>\n

So last year we contributed \u00a3120,000 to a competition to find innovative ways of reducing dementia patients\u2019 anxiety about attending medical appointments.<\/p>\n

We set some sensible criteria.<\/p>\n

We wanted to involve patient groups.<\/p>\n

We wanted a person with dementia to sit on the judges\u2019 panel.<\/p>\n

And we wanted solutions that work for all parts of the journey.<\/p>\n

The competition is still ongoing, so I can\u2019t announce any winners yet.<\/p>\n

But I can say we received some promising entries.<\/p>\n

Five of which were subjected to a dragons\u2019-den style interrogation.<\/p>\n

Of which 2 have been selected and will now be taken to demonstration phase.<\/p>\n

Our aim is to get products to market \u2014 so it\u2019s not just about nice ideas, but real commercial viability.<\/p>\n

I hope we can announce more as the design and testing progresses over the summer.<\/p>\n

Rail industry action<\/h2>\n

That\u2019s just a few things we\u2019re doing to make transport better for people with dementia.<\/p>\n

But I wanted to mention some excellent work being taken forward by the private transport operators.<\/p>\n

As Rail Minister, I am biased \u2014 but rail can be a particularly good form of travel for people with dementia.<\/p>\n

Normally in speeches I like to emphasise how our railways are changing, and improving.<\/p>\n

And they are.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s much about our railways that remains constant.<\/p>\n

And when it comes to dementia, that can be a good thing.<\/p>\n

Routes remain the same for generations.<\/p>\n

Trains call at the same familiar stops, in a familiar order, that they did in a passenger\u2019s childhood.<\/p>\n

Railways endure when all else has changed.<\/p>\n

That means railways are evocative of memory.<\/p>\n

But it also means they can be easy to use.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019ve been pleased to see rail companies seizing the opportunity to better serve people with dementia.<\/p>\n

East Anglia trains has worked with the Alzheimer\u2019s society to deliver a dementia awareness pilot for staff at 4 stations \u2014 Norwich, Ipswich, Chelmsford and Cambridge.<\/p>\n

Their plan is to deliver this training to all station staff.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also been pleased that Arriva Rail Northern has provided funds to develop the Bentham Line from Leeds to Lancaster and Morecambe as a \u2018centre for excellence\u2019 for people with dementia.<\/p>\n

Airports<\/h2>\n

This is encouraging, but it\u2019s not just rail.<\/p>\n

Many airports have been making progress too.<\/p>\n

In November, the Civil Aviation Authority published guidance on assisting passengers with hidden disabilities.
\nThe response has been very positive.<\/p>\n

Airports are increasingly offering special quiet routes and quiet areas.<\/p>\n

Most airports now offer familiarisation visits to those who would benefit from them before they fly.<\/p>\n

Heathrow has pledged to train all its 76,000 staff in dementia awareness.<\/p>\n

And last year Gatwick was awarded the Alzheimer\u2019s Society Dementia friendly innovation award.<\/p>\n

The future<\/h2>\n

I know that there are many more initiatives under way.<\/p>\n

That there are so many transport operators here today indicates how seriously this is being taken.<\/p>\n

But it would be remiss of me not to call for even more action.<\/p>\n

Because we\u2019re only at the very beginning.<\/p>\n

Our goal should be to place the same importance on serving passengers with dementia as we do for physical disabilities.<\/p>\n

Later this year we will publish our accessibility action plan.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a plan for addressing the barriers faced by disabled people in using transport.<\/p>\n

And it includes a focus on hidden disabilities, such as dementia.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to put it out in draft first, to give people the chance comment.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019d love to get your views on whether our plans are the right ones.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

But I\u2019d like to finish with the words of a person who lives with dementia herself.<\/p>\n

In March, Dr Joy Watson spoke at an accessibility and innovation conference we held in Westminster.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Dr Watson was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n

And at our conference she spoke of her work as an ambassador for the Alzheimer\u2019s Society.<\/p>\n

And how being part of the national dementia picture is what gets her out of bed in the morning.<\/p>\n

But she also said that:<\/p>\n

\n

A diagnosis of dementia is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new journey.<\/p>\n

Some people need a little more help to take the first steps, and if I can contribute to them living well, then my mission is fulfilled.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I suggest that we who work in transport adopt that mission as our own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul Maynard outlines how transport is improving for people with dementia at the Alzheimer\u2019s Society Dementia Friendly Transport Conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82339,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82306\/revisions\/82339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}