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Publication, Part of

Primary Care Dementia Data, September 2026

Official statistics

Publication Date:
22 Oct 2026
Geographic Coverage:
England
Geographical Granularity:
GP practices, Sub-Integrated Care Boards, Integrated Care Boards, Regions, Country, Local Authorities, Government Office Regions
Date Range:
01 Apr 2026 to 30 Sep 2026
Page contents

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 quarterly 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. Further information about the methodology of the dementia diagnosis rate indicator can be found in the Resources section.

Data is currently published for the following areas:

  • Dementia register with the following breakdowns (Age/Gender, Ethnicity, Dementia type, Residence type)
  • Dementia diagnoses in the last quarter (incidence), and diagnoses before the age of 65 (young onset)
  • Comorbidities including delirium, frailty, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and palliative care
  • Prescribing of medications e.g. antipsychotics and medication typically used to treat Alzheimer’s disease
  • Referrals to memory clinics, care plan and medication reviews

Following a consultation in March/April 2026, changes were made to the content, format and frequency of this publication. Further information can be found via the information in the Related Links section.

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

523,081 patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 30 September 2026, an increase of 6,851 patients since 30 June 2026.

Diagnosis rate in those aged 65 and over

66.7% of patients aged 65 or over who are estimated to have dementia, had a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 30 September 2026, an increase from 66.2% on 30 June 2026.

Care plan or care plan review

329,398 (63.0%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 30 September 2026 received a care plan or care plan review in the preceding 12 months.

Medication reviews

162,607 (49.4%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 30 September 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 2026.

Young onset dementia

34,989 (6.7%) of those with a recorded diagnosis of dementia on 30 September 2026 received their diagnosis before the age of 65.

Last edited: 23 October 2026 3:15 pm