On 8 July 2021, the Scottish Brain Health & Dementia Research Strategy was launched. It is the first such strategy of its kind and was prepared by Alzheimer Scotland, The Scottish Dementia Research Consortium and Brain Health Scotland and endorsed by a broad range of national organisations.
Many countries have dementia plans or strategies but Scotland is among the first countries in the world to develop a government-sponsored, standalone research strategy for brain health and dementia. The overall aim of the strategy is to create an environment in Scotland to promote the conditions for the highest quality of brain health and dementia research and the rapid implementation of research into practice.
The primary purpose of this strategy is to facilitate relevant high-quality research that translates rapidly into health and social care practice as effectively as possible. The recommendations made in the strategy also lay the groundwork to engage more people in research activity across Scotland. To guide this, the strategy has been developed, and will be delivered, with people rather than for people. This first ever strategy serves as a framework from which organisations will be able to build their own action plans for delivery through the creation of brain health and dementia research boards locally and nationally.
The strategy recommends four key actions.
• Brain health and dementia research boards should be developed locally within NHS boards to pursue the local research agenda in relation to dementia and brain health. Representatives from these local boards should come together to form a national forum to provide strategic oversight.
• The national forum will provide a rapid research-review service to create a process that facilitates rapid translation of research into practice – COVID-19 has demonstrated that it doesn’t have to take years to get research findings into practice.
• A national scoping review should be undertaken to investigate the current situation regarding research careers in brain health and dementia in Scotland. This will identify bottlenecks and barriers that obstruct research careers in brain health and dementia at all levels. The findings of the review will help facilitate progression to more senior career levels.
• A national strategy oversight board will be established to take responsibility for monitoring and supporting implementation of the strategy across Scotland.
You can read the full strategy, here: http://www.sdrc.scot/researchstrategy
