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Fiona Carragher
Director of Research and Influencing, Alzheimer’s Society
Fiona Carragher is a prominent healthcare professional and researcher with extensive experience in the field of dementia and healthcare science.12 She served as a Non-Executive Director at Kent and Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust from September 2020 to September 2022.25
Currently, Carragher holds the position of Executive Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer's Society, a role she has occupied since January 2019.12 In this capacity, she leads the organization's research program and works to strengthen its position as a national leader in dementia health and social care policy.3
Prior to joining Alzheimer's Society, Carragher was the Deputy Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England, where she provided leadership for 50,000 healthcare science professionals and advised on science, innovation, and diagnostics.14 She is a Consultant Clinical Biochemist by background and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.14
Carragher's career has included roles at various prestigious institutions, including Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, and Kings College Hospital London.12 She is also a Trustee of the UK Dementia Research Institute and Chair of the National Measurement System Chemical & Biological Metrology Programme Expert Group.4
Highlights
Support for people living with dementia at the point of diagnosis is often fractured, hard to access and of varying quality.
Working in partnership with philanthropists, researchers, policy advisors and front-line teams, a better way of delivering post-diagnostic care has been created.
#PriDem #research #dementia #philanthropy #policy
Today’s MHRA approval of the first safe and effective Alzheimer’s disease treatment, shown to slow progression, is a defining moment for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in the UK and a significant step towards a more hopeful future. While we welcome the MHRA approval, it is disappointing that NICE has not recommended approving lecanemab for use on the NHS at this stage. The news that lecanemab will be restricted to certain groups of patients will also lead to uncertainty for many people with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones. We respect the decisions regulators have made, however we know these announcements will bring a mix of emotions for those who have been waiting a long time since the promising trial results were first announced. The NICE recommendation reflects the urgent challenges which must be addressed regarding how we diagnose and treat people with dementia. A third of people affected by dementia have not received a diagnosis, and for those who have been diagnosed, it’s often not early or accurate enough for a person to be eligible for new treatments. A dementia diagnosis not only opens up the potential for treatment. It is also the single most effective route to the care, support and information we know is so important for everyone living with dementia and their loved ones. Now more than ever, Alzheimer’s Society is calling on Governments and health systems across the UK to prioritise dementia by improving early diagnosis in order to deliver ground-breaking treatments at scale. We know first-hand the devastation that dementia causes and would encourage anyone with dementia or concerns about potential symptoms to contact Alzheimer’s Society for support and information at alzheimers.org.uk or by calling our helpline on 0333 150 3456.
