Looking to the future of women's brain health - Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

Written by: Thea Laurie —
Published: 2nd February 2026

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The ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.

Both my granny and mum had dementia, so I have a particular interest in women’s brain health. I am a proud member of Alzheimer Scotland’s NDCAN (National Dementia Carers Action Network). Our aims include campaigning and engaging with the Government and Parliament to seek fair dementia care. I was led to join NDCAN due to my own experience of caring for my mum while she lived with dementia.

Women especially are affected by dementia. Two out of three Alzheimer’s patients are women [1], dementia is the leading cause of death for women in Scotland, and it is predominately women (60-70%) who are represented within the high numbers of unpaid carers in Scotland, many supporting loved ones with dementia. [2]

This is why I was excited to join the Lived Experience meetings of the Women’s Health Plan. Being inclusive and breaking down barriers to accessing vital healthcare services and raising awareness is central to the Plan.

My experience of being part of the Lived Experience Stakeholder Group has been eye opening. Being part of the development days has been humbling as we listened to the honest contributions from diverse lived experience campaigners, intent on improving women’s lives. Some of their stories have been shocking and many extremely sad. The common thread is a determination to enhance health care experiences for women across Scotland .

I think the group discussions and presentations were all first class. The debates which deliberated women’s healthy ageing were of keen interest to me and an opportunity to advocate for recognising women’s brain health within the new Plan. It is vital to addressing perhaps the biggest and certainly most overlooked gender health inequality. Including brain health in schools is one way to increase girls’ opportunities to optimise their future health, using the Brain Health Scotland’s STAR programme would be one example of doing this.

Scottish women need to know that there is a clear pathway of dementia care after a dementia diagnosis. We must not postpone or delay the urgency of a clear national plan. The Scottish Women’s Health Plan can be the vehicle to make this happen.