The third national audit of dementia care in acute hospitals is scheduled to take place in 2026/2027. The preparatory phase has commenced with the support of all health regions, according to the HSE.
The second national audit, based on data collected in 2019, found only 6 per cent of hospitals had a dementia inpatient care pathway and 22 per cent had a dementia recognition system across some or all areas. It also showed improvements with one-third of hospitals now having dementia-specific staff employed.
Meanwhile, the HSE said that six new memory assessment and support services (MASSs) will be “advanced throughout 2026”. Prior to the launch of the HSE’s dementia model of care in 2023, 10 locations with little or no specialist memory services were prioritised for new services. A MASS has been established in three of these locations (Cavan/Monaghan; Mayo; Sligo/Leitrim).
The model of care recommended a minimum of five regional specialist memory clinics (RSMCs). Four are currently operational. The HSE National Service Plan 2026 includes a commitment to develop a RSMC in North Dublin and the site is currently “under consideration”.
The National Intellectual Disability Memory Service (NIDMS) is fully operational.
Referrals to specialist services for diagnostic assessment should be seen within six weeks. Currently, this target is met for approximately 78 per cent of referrals to a MASS; and 56 per cent of referrals to a RSMC. All referrals to the NIDMS are typically seen in this timeframe.
In 2025, the European Medicines Agency granted marketing authorisations for lecanemab and donanemab. These are the first disease-modifying therapies in Europe for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including mild cognitive impairment due to AD, or mild dementia due to AD. The licence are for a restricted population only and mandate several risk-minimisation measures. The manufacturers of lecanemab have provided a full submission to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, while the manufacturers of donanemab are currently engaged in the pre-submission process.
“The key focus of National Dementia Services is the implementation of the 2023 Model of Care for Dementia, which emphasises responsive, accessible, and equitable services nationally and which acknowledges the potential for disease-modifying therapies to enter clinical practice,” according to the HSE.
“A fully resourced memory clinic network will be the key enabler for identifying patients in early-stage AD, if and when these medicines are publicly reimbursed. However, given the increasing prevalence of dementia, it is acknowledged that additional resourcing will be required should these therapies become part of routine care, in particular to ensure that the needs of the majority of service users (who will not be candidates for use of these agents) continue to be met in a timely and patient-centred fashion.”
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