This dataset reports the dementia diagnosis rate among individuals aged 65 and over in England. It reflects the proportion of people within this age group who have a recorded diagnosis of dementia, compared to the estimated number of people expected to have dementia based on prevalence models. The data is derived from General Practice records and national prevalence estimates, offering a view into how effectively dementia is being identified and recorded in primary care settings.
Rationale
Improving the diagnosis rate of dementia is a key public health priority, as early identification allows for better care planning, support, and treatment. This indicator helps assess how well healthcare systems are performing in identifying dementia among older adults, and supports efforts to close the gap between estimated and recorded cases.
Numerator
The numerator includes patients aged 65 and older who are registered for General Medical Services and have an unresolved diagnosis of dementia. These counts are broken down by five-year age and sex bands and are extracted from GP Clinical Systems via the General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) on the last day of the reporting month.
Denominator
The denominator is the estimated number of people aged 65 and older expected to have dementia within the population. This estimate is calculated by applying reference prevalence rates to the registered population.
Caveats
From 2017 onwards, a new methodology was introduced for this indicator, which is not directly comparable with previous versions. As a result, overlapping time series data may show differing values. Users should exercise caution when comparing historical data.
External References
More information is available from the following sources:
Localities Explained
This dataset contains data based on either the resident locality or registered locality of the patient, a distinction is made between resident locality and registered locality populations:
- Resident Locality refers to individuals who live within the defined geographic boundaries of the locality. These boundaries are aligned with official administrative areas such as wards and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
- Registered Locality refers to individuals who are registered with GP practices that are assigned to a locality based on the Primary Care Network (PCN) they belong to. These assignments are approximate—PCNs are mapped to a locality based on the location of most of their GP surgeries. As a result, locality-registered patients may live outside the locality, sometimes even in different towns or cities.
This distinction is important because some health indicators are only available at GP practice level, without information on where patients actually reside. In such cases, data is attributed to the locality based on GP registration, not residential address.
Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.
Dementia diagnosis rate - ICP Outcomes Framework - Registered Locality