An audit of memory assessment services reports that the average time from referral to a dementia diagnosis is increasing. The latest figures show patients wait an average of 137 days—about 20 weeks—for a diagnosis, compared with shorter waits in previous periods cited by the audit. The report characterizes the delays as a growing concern, describing them as becoming routine in some services.
The audit focuses on how quickly people referred for suspected dementia are assessed and diagnosed through memory services. It highlights that longer waiting times can delay access to clinical support and planning for patients and families. The findings are based on performance data captured across memory assessment services and represent the most recent national picture reported by the audit.
While the sources agree on the headline waiting-time figure, they emphasize the same broader issue: sustained delays in the diagnostic pathway for dementia and the impact of prolonged waiting from referral to diagnosis.
