Alzheimer’s Society has produced an interactive map alzheimers.org.uk/dementiamap which highlights the number of people who have a diagnosis of dementia across the UK.

The Alzheimer’s Society has released new data on the rates of dementia diagnosis in the UK. It shows wide variation between areas with, for example, 31.6% of people with dementia being diagnosed in the East Riding of Yorkshire and 75.4% in Islington.

The proportion of people with dementia who have a formal diagnosis is now 46%, compared with 43% in 2011. Alzheimer’s Society estimates that there are 428,000 people in the UK who are living with dementia but haven’t been diagnosed.

The NHS has made a commitment to improving diagnosis rates and more needs to be done to make this happen.

Useful support tools to improve the diagnosis of dementia, and the diagnosis pathway include:

• Dementia Prevalence Calculator which presents an opportunity for all health communities to gain a better understanding of their local estimated prevalence of dementia in the community, and among people living in local care homes.
• Dementia diagnosis resource pack which  sets out key steps for Commissioners, and key steps for General Practices to improve the diagnosis of dementia, and the diagnosis pathway.
• Dementia diagnosis improvement plan which can assist Clinical Commissioning Groups and General Practices with the design and delivery of local improvement plans.