A proposed dementia waiting-time target in England would give patients and families a clearer route from referral to treatment. The Alzheimer’s Society is calling for an 18-week referral-to-treatment standard, while the government has committed to strengthening dementia services and appointing a senior official to oversee them.
The proposal has been backed by Professor Sir Mike Richards, England’s former national cancer director, and Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading a major review of adult social care. Social Care Minister Alison McGovern also expressed support for the report at the Alzheimer’s Society conference on 17 September 2026.
What is being proposed?
England currently has no national waiting-time target specifically for dementia care. The proposed standard would set an 18-week period between referral and treatment.
That would not necessarily mean every person received the same intervention. Dementia support can involve assessment, diagnosis, medication where appropriate, social-care planning, community services and support for relatives. The proposal is intended to create a measurable expectation for the overall pathway rather than leave patients navigating separate health and social-care systems without a defined deadline.
The suggested model draws on the approach used for cancer services, where national waiting-time standards exist for diagnosis and treatment. Richards, who was the national cancer director when these targets were introduced in 2000, has said that an 18-week dementia target could be achievable, but only with political backing and additional funding.
A target without enough clinical staff, assessment capacity and social-care provision could expose delays without resolving them.
Why campaigners say dementia care needs a new approach
The Alzheimer’s Society and the King’s Trust have described dementia services as being stuck in the past and called for a transformation comparable to the changes seen in cancer care.
Their argument rests on several practical problems:
- No dementia-specific waiting-time standard: Families may not know what timeframe they should reasonably expect.
- A divided system: Health and social care often operate through different services, assessments and funding arrangements.
- Delayed support: Longer waits can leave people and relatives coping with uncertainty while needs increase.
- Limited accountability: Without a national measure, it is harder to compare performance or identify where people are being held up.
McGovern has said that dementia has been neglected for too long and that the separation between health and social care is particularly damaging for people living with the condition and their families.
The government has committed to appointing a senior official—described by McGovern as a dementia “tsar”—and publishing a new service framework by the end of 2026. The stated aim is to speed up support and create a more modern system.
What an 18-week target could change
A national target could give patients a clearer basis for asking what happens next after a referral. It could also help policymakers identify whether delays arise in assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, community support or social-care arrangements.
If properly designed, the framework could support:
- Clearer communication: Patients and carers would have a defined expectation rather than an open-ended wait.
- Better measurement: Services could report whether they are meeting the same standard across England.
- Earlier problem-solving: Persistent delays might be identified before they become routine.
- Stronger coordination: The target could encourage NHS and social-care services to plan jointly.
- More visible political accountability: Ministers would have to explain performance against a public benchmark.
However, meeting a deadline should not become the sole measure of good dementia care. A rapid appointment would have limited value if the assessment were rushed, the diagnosis poorly explained or appropriate support unavailable afterwards.
The funding and workforce question
Richards has said that implementing the target would cost more. The source material does not provide an estimate, and the final cost would depend on how the government defines the pathway and which services are included.
Likely pressure points include:
- specialist assessment capacity;
- trained clinicians and support workers;
- access to follow-up care;
- information and support for carers;
- coordination between NHS services, councils and care providers.
The government’s planned service framework may clarify these issues, but no final details are provided in the available material. The effectiveness of any target will depend on whether it is linked to staffing, funding and transparent reporting rather than announced as a standalone promise.
What families can do while policy is being developed
A national target has not yet been introduced. Families should therefore avoid assuming that an 18-week standard is already an enforceable entitlement.
While waiting for assessment or support, it may help to:
- ask the referring clinician which service is responsible for the next step;
- request confirmation of the referral date;
- keep a written record of symptoms, appointments and unanswered queries;
- ask what support is available for the person with suspected dementia and for the carer;
- seek clarification when health and social-care services refer the family to one another.
What to watch for next
The government’s next significant steps are expected to be:
- the appointment of the dementia lead or “tsar”;
- publication of the new dementia service framework by the end of 2026;
- clarification of whether the government adopts the proposed 18-week standard;
- details of funding, staffing and performance reporting;
- an explanation of how NHS and adult social-care responsibilities will be joined up.
Until those details are published, the 18-week period remains a proposal rather than an operating national standard. The central test will be whether the policy gives families faster, coordinated support—not simply whether a new number appears in a performance report.
Sources
- “Andy Burnham urged to set dementia waiting-time target,” BBC News, published 17 September 2026: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c50m3glzppgpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Meta: An 18-week dementia waiting-time target is being proposed for England. Here is what it could change, and why funding and coordination matter.