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National Audit of Dementia (Care in General Hospitals)

What we are doing

The National Audit of Dementia (Care in General Hospitals) is an audit performed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians, British Geriatrics Society, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of General Practitioners, Dementia Action Alliance, Age UK, John’s Campaign, the Alzheimer’s Society and representatives of people living with dementia and carers, and is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP).

This is the third round of the audit. Hospitals were asked to complete four elements:

  • hospital-level organisational checklist
  • retrospective case note audit with a target of a minimum of 50 sets of patient notes
  • survey of carer experience of quality of care
  • staff questionnaire.

Data for this round of audit were collected April–November 2016. 

The audit reviewed case notes of 10,047 patients with a diagnosis or current history of dementia and questionnaires from 14,416 staff and 4,664 carers. Ninety-eight per cent (199/203) of hospitals eligible to participate across England and Wales submitted data for all or part of the audit. Carer and staff questionnaires are new elements in this round of audit (round two of the audit reported in 2013).

Read the 2017 report

The National Audit of Dementia 2017 report has been published in full report and executive summary formats.

You can read the key findings and recommendations, see how hospitals were assessed, and find out how your hospital did, by accessing the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.