Getting a dementia diagnosis: steps and waiting times in the UK

By CareFinder Team · Published 2026-09-17 · Last reviewed 2026-09-17

A dementia diagnosis in the UK usually starts with a GP appointment, where memory and thinking are checked with a short cognitive test and blood tests rule out other causes. Most people are then referred to a memory assessment service for fuller assessment, often including a brain scan. National guidance commissioned by NHS England (the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health's Dementia Care Pathway) sets a goal of people being diagnosed and starting treatment within six weeks of referral, but real waits vary widely by area, from a few weeks to many months.

Getting a diagnosis usually takes two stages: a GP appointment that checks the basics and rules out other causes, then a referral to a specialist memory assessment service. The Dementia Care Pathway guidance, published by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and commissioned by NHS England, sets a national goal of people being diagnosed and starting treatment within six weeks of referral, but this is an ambition rather than a legal right, and actual waits differ a lot between areas. Nothing about the process requires you to wait passively — there is a lot you can usefully do in the meantime.

What are the steps to getting a dementia diagnosis?

The route is broadly the same across the UK, though the names of services differ:

1. Write down what you have noticed. Dates, examples, and how things have changed over the last 6–12 months.
2. Book a GP appointment. Ask for a double appointment if the receptionist offers one, and say it is about memory and thinking.
3. Initial GP assessment. The GP takes a history (ideally with someone who knows the person well), does a short cognitive test, checks medicines, mood, hearing and vision, and arranges blood tests and sometimes a urine test.
4. Referral to a memory assessment service. Usually a memory clinic run by the local mental health trust or board, or in some areas an old age psychiatry, neurology or geriatric medicine clinic.
5. Specialist assessment. More detailed cognitive testing, a fuller history, and often a brain scan.
6. Diagnosis and follow-up. The type of dementia (or an alternative explanation) is explained, treatment and support discussed, and the diagnosis is recorded on the GP record.

Most people are diagnosed in a memory service rather than by their GP, though some GPs with a special interest will diagnose straightforward cases themselves.

How do I make the GP appointment count?

This appointment sets the pace for everything that follows, so preparation matters more than people expect.

Take with you:

• A short written list of changes, with concrete examples: repeating questions, getting lost on a familiar route, losing track of conversations, money or bills going wrong, personality or mood changes, difficulty with sequences like making a cup of tea.
• When you first noticed something, and whether it came on gradually or suddenly.
• A full list of medicines, including anything bought over the counter.
• Any family history of dementia, and other conditions such as stroke, diabetes, Parkinson's, depression, or heavy alcohol use.
• Whether the person is still driving, managing medicines, cooking, or living alone.

Ask the GP directly: "Can you refer to the memory service?", "What will you rule out first?", "How long is the local wait?" and "Who do we contact if things get worse while we wait?"

If you feel your concerns are dismissed, it is reasonable to ask for a second opinion within the practice, or to return in a few weeks with a written record of further examples. Sudden confusion, hallucinations, falls or rapid decline over days rather than months should be treated as urgent — that pattern suggests delirium or acute illness, not dementia.

If you cannot be in the room

An adult can be seen alone, and confidentiality means the GP may not be able to share details with you. You can still send a letter or use the practice's online form to give the GP your observations before the appointment — that information can be read and acted on even if nothing is shared back.

What tests are used, and what are they looking for?

There is no single dementia test. Diagnosis is made by putting several pieces together.

Cognitive testing. NICE recommends a short, validated cognitive test at the first assessment — examples include the 6-CIT, the Mini-Cog, the 10-point cognitive screener and the Test Your Memory. Memory services then use longer assessments such as the ACE-III or the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Scores are only part of the picture: education, language, hearing, anxiety and tiredness all affect them.

Blood tests. These look for treatable conditions that mimic dementia — an underactive thyroid, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, infection, kidney or liver problems, calcium abnormalities and diabetes. This is why a diagnosis is never made on a memory test alone.

Brain imaging. NICE guidance (NG97) suggests structural imaging — usually MRI, or CT where MRI is unsuitable — to help identify the subtype and exclude other causes such as a stroke, tumour or fluid on the brain. In less clear cases, specialist tests such as a DaTSCAN (used where Lewy body dementia is suspected), FDG-PET or examination of spinal fluid may be offered.

Other checks. Hearing and vision, mood (depression is a common and very treatable cause of memory complaints), alcohol intake and a review of medicines that can cloud thinking, such as some sedatives and anticholinergics.

You can read the NHS overview of assessment at nhs.uk and the clinical guideline at NICE NG97.

How long are the waiting times?

Honest answer: it varies enormously, and no single national figure describes it well.

• England. The national Dementia Care Pathway guidance sets an ambition that people are diagnosed and start treatment within six weeks of referral. Many services are slower than this, and some areas have waits of six months or more. NHS England also has a long-standing ambition that two thirds (66.7%) of people aged 65 and over estimated to have dementia have a recorded diagnosis.
• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is no equivalent six-week standard, and waits are set locally by health boards or trusts.

What drives the wait is usually capacity in the memory service and, separately, the wait for a brain scan. It is worth asking two questions when you are referred: how long the first appointment wait is, and whether the scan is arranged before or after that appointment — services that scan first often reach a diagnosis in fewer visits.

Things that can shorten the wait

• Ask the GP whether there is more than one local service, and whether either has a shorter list.
• In England, ask about patient choice at the point of referral for a first outpatient appointment.
• Make sure blood tests are done promptly, as an incomplete work-up can send a referral back.
• Tell the service if the situation changes significantly — new risk at home, wandering, a fall, or a carer at breaking point.
• Ask to be put on a cancellation list.

What to do while you wait

Support does not depend on a diagnosis. While you wait you can:

• Apply for Attendance Allowance if the person needs help with personal care (in Scotland, this is now Pension Age Disability Payment).
• Request a needs assessment from the local council or, in Northern Ireland, the health and social care trust — this is based on need, not diagnosis.
• Request a carer's assessment for yourself.
• Sort out lasting power of attorney for property and finances and for health and welfare while the person clearly has capacity to make it (gov.uk; in Scotland it is a continuing and welfare power of attorney).
• Ring a specialist helpline — Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses and Alzheimer's Society both offer telephone support, and Carers UK can help with carer's rights.
• Reduce risk at home: medication boxes or dispensers, simplifying finances, checking the cooker, and considering a key safe or telecare.

Can we pay for a private diagnosis?

Yes. A private assessment with an old age psychiatrist, neurologist or geriatrician, usually with private cognitive testing and a scan, can be much quicker. Points worth knowing before you spend money:

• Ask for a GP referral letter and ask the private clinic to write back to the GP, so the diagnosis is recorded and NHS prescriptions and support can follow.
• Medicines for Alzheimer's disease are often started privately and then transferred to NHS or GP prescribing under a shared care arrangement — check in advance that the local NHS service will accept this.
• Ongoing support, post-diagnostic services and social care do not become private just because the diagnosis was; you will still use NHS and council services afterwards.
• Health insurance frequently excludes chronic and degenerative conditions, so check your policy rather than assuming.

What happens once a diagnosis is given?

Expect the appointment to cover the subtype (Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, mixed, Lewy body, frontotemporal and others), what it means, and what happens next. Reasonable things to ask for:

• A written summary and a named contact for questions.
• A discussion of medication. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine may help symptoms in some types of dementia; they are not appropriate for all subtypes.
• Referral to post-diagnostic support — a dementia adviser, support worker or link worker, and local groups.
• A review of other health conditions, and a plan for annual dementia review with the GP.
• Advice on driving. In Great Britain the DVLA must be told; in Northern Ireland it is the DVA. A diagnosis does not automatically end driving, but failing to notify is an offence (gov.uk guidance).
• A Council Tax check: someone medically certified as severely mentally impaired and receiving a qualifying benefit may be disregarded for Council Tax in England, Scotland and Wales (gov.uk). Northern Ireland has a separate rates system — see nidirect.

It is also the right moment, unhurried but not delayed, to talk about future wishes: where the person would want to live, what treatment they would and would not want, and advance care planning.

Is the process different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

The clinical steps are broadly similar; the guarantees and support structures differ.

Regulation of care services also differs — CQC in England, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales, and RQIA in Northern Ireland — which matters later if care is needed.

Frequently asked questions

What if my relative refuses to go to the doctor?

Try framing it as a general check-up, a medication review or an NHS health check rather than a memory test. You can also speak to the GP yourself first and ask them to raise it at the next routine contact. If the person lacks capacity to decide about assessment and there is real risk, the GP or council can consider a best-interests approach under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in England and Wales, the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, or in Northern Ireland the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, which is only partially commenced, alongside the common law.

Can dementia be diagnosed by a blood test?

Not yet in routine NHS practice. Blood tests are currently used to rule out other causes of memory problems. Blood biomarker tests for Alzheimer's disease are an active area of research and trials in the UK, but they are not part of standard diagnosis today.

What is mild cognitive impairment?

MCI means measurable changes in memory or thinking that are not severe enough to be dementia and do not significantly affect daily life. Some people with MCI go on to develop dementia, some stay stable, and some improve. Usually you will be offered follow-up and a repeat assessment, often after six to twelve months.

Does a diagnosis affect care home or care funding?

The diagnosis itself does not unlock funding; assessed need does. But a recorded diagnosis makes it easier to access dementia-specific services, benefits, Council Tax disregard, and NHS continuing healthcare or NHS-funded nursing care assessments where relevant.

Is a memory clinic appointment the same as the diagnosis appointment?

Often not. Many services use a first appointment for assessment and history, then arrange a scan, then a second appointment to give results. Ask at the outset how many visits to expect, so the timeline does not come as a shock.

What about younger people?

Dementia under 65 (young-onset dementia) is less common and more often misdiagnosed as stress or depression. Referral may be to a neurologist or a specialist young-onset service rather than a standard memory clinic, and it is reasonable to ask specifically for that.

Key takeaways

• The route is GP assessment first — cognitive test, blood tests, medication and mood review — then referral to a memory assessment service.
• National guidance sets an ambition of diagnosis and start of treatment within six weeks of referral; there is no equivalent standard in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and real waits vary widely.
• A diagnosis is built from history, cognitive testing, blood tests and usually a scan, not from a memory test alone.
• You do not need a diagnosis to request a council needs assessment, a carer's assessment, or Attendance Allowance (Pension Age Disability Payment in Scotland).
• Set up lasting power of attorney while capacity is clear, and remember the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland) must be told about a dementia diagnosis.
• Private assessment can be quicker; check in advance how prescribing and follow-up will transfer back to the NHS.

This article is general information, not personal medical, legal or financial advice. For decisions about medication, capacity, driving or funding, speak to the GP, the memory service, or an adviser at Citizens Advice, Age UK or MoneyHelper.