Publication, Part of Primary Care Dementia Data
Primary Care Dementia Data, March 2026
Official statistics
Future publication changes
Please note that the March 2026 publication is the last monthly release of the Primary Care Dementia Data (PCDD) publication. From 2026/27 data will be collected and published on a quarterly basis with the first publication expected to be published in July 2026.
Please also note that following the Primary Care Dementia Data publication consultation 2026, there are proposed changes to the format and content of the PCDD publication. Further information on the consultation and the proposed changes can be found here. Feedback from the consultation is currently being reviewed and further information including NHS England’s detailed response will be published on the consultation webpage in due course. Contact details can be found on the consultation webpage if you would like to be kept updated.
30 April 2026 09:30 AM
Practice mapping 2026
Please note that for the March 2026 release, practices have been mapped to their commissioning organisations as at 31st March 2026 and do not reflect the April 2026 ICB merger and boundary changes. This is also reflected within the mapping file included within the release.
Due to April 2026 mapping changes, practices have been mapped as of March 2026 and as such the mapping file from March has been used.
30 April 2026 09:30 AM
Summary
NHS England collect and publish data about people with dementia at each GP practice in England, to enable NHS GPs and commissioners to make informed choices about how to plan their dementia services around patients’ needs.
The publication includes the rate of dementia diagnosis. As not everyone with dementia has a formal diagnosis, this statistic compares the number of people thought to have dementia with the number of people diagnosed with dementia, aged 65 and over. Where current monthly data for a GP practice is unavailable, the most recent data available are used (up to a maximum of 6 months).
Prior to October 2022, dementia data were collected via the dementia data core contract service and published as the "Recorded Dementia Diagnoses" series. The data in these two publication series are not comparable. This is due to the retrospective application of codes to patient records and changes in patient registration, as well as differences in coverage and the specification of several counts.
Refer to the ‘Related Links’ for the supporting information page where details on these changes can be found.
Key Facts
Recorded dementia diagnosis
513,135 patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 31 March 2026, an increase of 2,796 patients since 28 February 2026.
Diagnosis rate in those aged 65 and over
66.3% of patients aged 65 or over who are estimated to have dementia, had a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 31 March 2026, an increase from 66.1% on 28 February 2026.
Care plan or care plan review
388,628 (75.7%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 31 March 2026 received a care plan or care plan review in the preceding 12 months.
Medication reviews
301,136 (58.7%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 31 March 2026, who had received a dementia care plan or care plan review in the preceding 12 months have received a medication review since 1 April 2025.
Young onset dementia
34,639 (6.8%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 31 March 2026 received their diagnosis before the age of 65.
Resources
Last edited: 30 April 2026 9:36 am