Memory Services Spotlight Audit 2023

1. Increased Wait Times:
   • The overall wait time from referral to diagnosis increased from 124 days in 2021 to 151 days in 2023. The time from referral to initial assessment also increased from 66 days to 88 days.
   • There is a significant variation in wait times between services, with some patients waiting up to 347 days for a diagnosis.
2. Variation in Service Delivery:
   • There is wide variation in the performance of services, including the time taken for diagnosis, the proportion of patients receiving neuroimaging, and the provision of post-diagnostic support such as Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST).
   • For example, the percentage of patients receiving brain scans varied from 0% to 90% between services.
3. Physical Health Assessments:
   • Slight improvements were noted in the recording of physical health assessments, such as checks on vision, hearing, alcohol consumption, and falls history. However, less than 50% of patients received all four key assessments.
4. Post-Diagnostic Support:
   • While 76% of services reported offering CST, only 31% of patients diagnosed with dementia were offered this therapy. The availability of other post-diagnostic supports, such as referrals to dementia advisors and psychoeducation courses for carers, also varied significantly between services.
5. Impact of Deprivation:
   • The report highlights that patients in the most deprived areas experience longer wait times for diagnosis compared to those in less deprived areas, exacerbating existing health inequalities.
6. Recommendations:
   • The report recommends improving the consistency and quality of memory assessments across services, ensuring equitable access to services, and enhancing post-diagnostic support. It also calls for a focus on addressing the variations in service provision and improving the recording of demographic data.

These findings underline the need for targeted interventions to reduce wait times, improve service consistency, and ensure equitable access to dementia care across different regions.