Where Can I Find a Memory Assessment Service Locally?

The quickest route: contact the GP practice

Book an appointment if memory, thinking, language, behaviour or everyday tasks have changed. You can say that you are concerned about memory changes and would like to discuss an assessment and the local referral pathway. If the person agrees, go with them: someone who knows them well can describe changes that may be hard to remember in the appointment.

A GP may ask about symptoms, health and day-to-day life, review medicines, carry out an initial cognitive assessment and arrange tests to look for other causes. If a specialist assessment is needed, they may refer to a memory clinic or another clinician with experience of diagnosing dementia. There is no single test that diagnoses dementia.

Search terms that work better than ‘memory assessment near me’

Local services are named differently, so try a few versions with your town, county or NHS trust. Use the official service page to check its referral rules rather than assuming you can book directly.

• ‘[your town or county] memory assessment service NHS’
• ‘[your town or county] memory clinic NHS’
• ‘[your local NHS trust] dementia diagnosis service’
• ‘[your local NHS trust] older adults mental health memory’
• ‘[your town or county] cognitive assessment service’

Useful local-finding resources

These links will not all identify a clinical memory clinic directly, but they can help you find the local support, advice and contact points that explain the route in your area.

Do you need a GP referral?

Often, yes. Many memory assessment services accept referrals from a GP or another health professional because the first assessment and physical health checks form part of the process. A few areas may have different arrangements, including limited self-referral services, but this varies locally.

Do not delay by trying to work out the rule alone. If a local service page is unclear, ask the GP receptionist, the service itself or a dementia charity adviser: ‘Do you accept self-referrals, and if not, who should refer us?’

What to say when you make the appointment

Specific examples are more useful than a general worry. You could say: ‘Over the last [weeks/months], Mum has been repeating questions, getting lost on familiar journeys and struggling with bills. We would like a memory assessment and to know which local service covers us.’

Bring a short note of when changes began, examples of what has changed, how it affects everyday life, illnesses, recent medicine changes, hearing or vision problems and any safety concerns. Ask whether a family member can attend and whether an interpreter, accessible communication or another reasonable adjustment can be arranged.

What happens after a referral?

The exact service and waiting time vary by area. A specialist appointment may include a longer conversation, cognitive testing, a review of health and medicines, and sometimes further tests or a scan. The aim is to understand the cause of the symptoms and to identify treatment, support and follow-up—not simply to give someone a label.

While waiting, keep a short record of meaningful changes and practical risks. Ask the GP surgery who to contact if symptoms worsen, and seek support for the carer too; practical help does not need to wait for a confirmed diagnosis.

When not to wait for a routine memory appointment

A gradual memory problem can be discussed through the normal GP route. Sudden confusion, a major change over hours or days, new weakness on one side, facial droop, speech difficulty, collapse, severe illness or immediate danger needs urgent help instead. Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency or stroke symptoms; use NHS 111 for urgent advice when you are unsure.

Do not assume a sudden change is simply dementia progressing. Infection, delirium, medicine effects and other treatable problems can cause abrupt confusion.

The bottom line

Start with the GP, then search using the names local services actually use: memory assessment service, memory clinic, dementia diagnosis service and older-adults mental health. The local pathway differs, but a clear description of the changes and a request for the correct referral will usually get you to the right starting point.

If navigating the system feels overwhelming, use a local dementia charity adviser, the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline or your council's adult social care team to help you work out the next call.