Film producer Martin Frizell, whose wife Fiona Phillips was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2022, said the Prime Minister's social care proposals offer hope. He shared a new photograph of the former GMTV presenter smiling in their kitchen.
Burnham's social care plans
Andy Burnham unveiled plans to fix the social care sector, including accelerating Baroness Louise Casey's review, drawing up workforce reforms, and holding cross-party talks. Burnham's father has Alzheimer's.
Martin Frizell's statement
Frizell posted on social media that Fiona was once offered a role as health minister under Gordon Brown, working with Burnham. He wrote: "If the new Prime Minister, who knows what Alzheimer's can do from his father's experience, follows through on making a difference to sufferers like Fiona, his dad and millions of others then he will become the most consequential politician of his generation."
He added: "For decades no-one listened, dementia became the poor relation to cancer and yet it's our biggest killer. Sadly it's taken someone touched by dementia to take it seriously - but how will we afford to treat it properly?"
Impact on families
Reflecting on the proposals, Frizell said: "When your family life is altered forever by a dementia diagnosis, you won't be quibbling about one or two per cent extra you've contributed to provide to a proper care system. If in doubt spend a day with an Alzheimer's family and you'll see why there's so much hope riding on Andy Burnham and Louise Casey. It cheered up our morning."
