Dementia diagnosis rate and prescription of antipsychotic medication to people with dementia

Not everyone with dementia has a formal diagnosis. Since 2012, the NHS has been seeking to ensure that patients suffering from dementia are given a formal diagnosis so that they can receive appropriate care and support. The national target is for two thirds of people with dementia to be formally diagnosed.

The Dementia 65+ estimated diagnosis rate indicator tracks this ambition by comparing the number of people thought to have dementia with the number of people diagnosed with dementia, aged 65 and over.

The indicator is updated every month.

You can find out whether GPs in your local area, region, or the whole of England are meeting the ambition of two thirds of people with dementia receiving a formal diagnosis, and monitor how this has changed over time.

Numbers of people with dementia who are prescribed antipsychotic medication is also available.

You cannot use this data to directly compare different areas across the country. If an area seems to have a significantly high or low diagnosis rate or level of antipsychotic medication prescribing, this is merely a smoke alarm for further investigation.

Underlying data and details of calculations and caveats involved in creating this indicator are available in the Recorded dementia diagnoses collection.

Our business rules provide further information about our data extraction methodology.