Scott Mitchell, the husband of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, has criticised the UK government over a lack of funding towards dementia research.
Dame Barbara died last month at the age of 83, six years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Best known for her acting roles in the Carry On films and EastEnders, the showbiz legend devoted her final years to raising awareness of dementia and calling for more research into the condition.
This included a 2019 meeting with prime minister Boris Johnson, where they discussed dementia care in the UK.
A month after his wife’s death, Scott has given an interview to the Sunday Mirror, in which he said the government has failed to deliver on promises he says had been made to him and Dame Barbara when they met with Johnson in 2019.
Scott said his “heart goes out to every person affected” by the coronavirus pandemic but ministers “cannot lose sight” of the need for treatments for those affected by dementia.
“It’s disappointing to see the government is not doing more for people affected, despite the promises he made to me and Barbara in 2019,” he told the newspaper.
“While we knew nothing could be done to save Barbara from this cruel condition, we were passionate about making sure action would be taken to save other families from the heartbreak it causes.
“More than a year ago, the government promised to double its funding for dementia research yet we have seen no further commitment to this pledge.”
In the month since Dame Barbara died, a Just Giving page in her memory has raised more than £150,000 for the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Scott has said of the fundraiser: “This outpouring of support has filled me with pride and been a huge comfort to me. It just shows how loved, respected and adored my Barbara was. That’s magical.”