£80m challenge to speed up dementia diagnosis in the NHS

Nine technologies, including faster MRI scans and remote cognitive tests, will be tested in real-world NHS settings.

Daily Alba · 2 October 2026 · 2 min read

Illustrative image of an MRI scanner. Illustrative image, not a photograph of the reported event.

Nine new technologies will be tested in the NHS as part of an £80 million Dementia Challenge to diagnose the condition faster, UK Research and Innovation said.

The goal

The aim is for 92% of people to be diagnosed within 18 weeks of referral, up from around 60% today, when diagnosis often takes more than a year.

Pay for results

Projects will only receive further funding by proving they work. They include a faster MRI brain scan and AI-enabled home monitoring led by the UK Dementia Research Institute.

Scotland

The trials are in the NHS in England; health is devolved in Scotland.

Source & attribution: This original report is based on UK Research and Innovation, published 2 October 2026. This is not independent on-the-ground reporting.