NHS England has announced that it has met its target to diagnose more than two-thirds of people living with dementia in England. According to Dr Jeremy Isaacs, its national clinical director for dementia, this is the first time the target has been achieved since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of people with a diagnosis is also 50,000 higher than when the target was last met.
The announcement was published on 22 October 2026 in a statement from NHS England, the body responsible for the health service in England. The figures relate to England, not the whole of the United Kingdom.
A diagnosis as the first step towards support
Dr Isaacs explains that a diagnosis is the first step towards ensuring someone with dementia receives support. This may include a care plan or a review of the medicines they take. The target measures diagnosis, however: meeting it does not mean that everyone living with dementia has been diagnosed, or that every patient has access to the same care.
In the statement, Isaacs encourages anyone who notices symptoms that could suggest dementia to speak to their GP, their primary care doctor. The practical message is to discuss suspected symptoms with a doctor rather than treat them as a diagnosis.
What the announcement tells us
NHS England did not give the precise diagnosis rate above the two-thirds threshold or the total number of people diagnosed. The statement also did not identify the statistical period or the day on which the target was reached. The date of 22 October therefore marks the official announcement, rather than a confirmed date for crossing the threshold.
Dr Isaacs also said the NHS was working with the government on a national vision for dementia care. That work is ongoing; the statement does not announce the launch of a new care programme.
