Dementia Assessment and Referral data collection – May 2016

The May 2016 data for the Dementia Assessment and Referral data collection in England by

NHS England were released on 3rd August 2016 according to the arrangements approved by

the UK Statistics Authority.

The collection’s purpose is to improve the identification of older patients with dementia and

delirium, to monitor appropriate assessment and to prompt appropriate referral and follow

up after they leave hospital. Three measures are reported – the number and proportion of

patients aged 75 and over admitted as an emergency for more than 72 hours:

i) who have a diagnosis of dementia or delirium or to whom case finding is applied;

[Find]

ii) who, if identified as potentially having dementia or delirium, are appropriately

assessed; [Assess/Investigate], and,

iii) where the outcome was positive or inconclusive, are referred on to specialist

services. [Refer]

The Dementia Assessment and Referral collection was retired as a CQUIN collection at the

start of April 2016 but retained in the standard contract as a mandatory submission for

acute trusts. The desired level of performance is at least 90% on each part of the indicator.

Measure iii) has changed back to being collected by providers and to its 2014/15 definition.

Data are no longer collected from community trusts or CCGs. The acute trusts have

maintained a good response rate similar to previous months.

Monthly Publication – May 2016

The total number of data returns submitted by NHS Foundation and Non-Foundation Trusts

providing acute funded care was 147 in May 2016, compared to 147 in April 2016. There

were 4 nil returns, compared to 7 in April. Nil returns are excluded from the results

presented below.

Data by Total Patients

i) Overall, 90.0% of patients aged 75 and over admitted as an emergency for more

than 72 hours were initially identified or given case finding for potential dementia in

May 2016, compared to 90.2% in April.

ii) Of the patients initially identified or found as potentially having dementia, 94.3%

were further appropriately assessed in May 2016, compared with 94.5% in April.

iii) Of the patients whose outcome was positive or inconclusive, 94.6% were referred

for specialist services in May 2016, compared with 93.7% in April.

Data by Acute Trusts

i) 74.8% (107 trusts) achieved at least 90% in May 2016 in carrying out initial

identification (using case finding) for potential cases of dementia amongst patients

aged 75 and over who were admitted as an emergency for more than 72 hours,

compared to 82.9% (116 trusts) in April.

ii) 81.1% (116 trusts) achieved at least 90% in May 2016 in carrying out further

appropriate assessments, compared with 82.9% (116 trusts) in April.

iii) 76.2% (109 trusts) achieved at least 90% in May 2016 in referring on to specialist

services, compared with 77.1% (108 trusts) in April.

86 acute trusts (60.1%) achieved at least 90% in all three measures in May 2016.

The full data tables, and a more detailed quarterly commentary each quarter, can be found

on the NHS England website:

http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/dementia/