What are Memory Assessment Services (MAS)?

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By Farukh Navabjan, Senior Improvement Manager, NHS Wales Executive

To mark Dementia Action Week (19-25 May), we’re sharing a series of blogs written by members of our dementia team and NHS colleagues who lead work to improve dementia care in regions across Wales.

View our dementia pages to see how we’re working together to make Wales dementia friendly.  

Did you know that Memory Assessment Services (MAS) across Wales receive about 800 referrals each month? Despite this demand, teams across Wales are showing unwavering commitment to improve dementia care by constantly refining their processes and exploring innovative approaches to meet rising demand. Capacity building is a major focus in tackling the waiting lists and MAS teams are attending the tailored Demand and Capacity programme – developed with the Improvement Cymru Academy.

We’re conducting regional workshops by bringing teams together, helping uncover differences, share learning, promote greater consistency and explore new ways of working, to further enhance service delivery.

One of the most significant advancements came through the strategic use of data. In collaboration with our analytics team and MAS teams, a performance-monitoring dashboard has been created. Now used by all health boards in Wales, this tool enables teams to track diagnostic rates and operational performance, offering a transparent way to monitor and report data that can drive service improvements.

MAS teams have worked in partnership with various networks in developing the All Wales Neuro-imaging pathway, All Wales Hearing Loss pathway and various resources for Movement and Mobility. All these pathways are being launched this month which promise to enhance diagnostic accuracy and holistic care.

The Dementia Faculty continues to shine as a hub for professional development. With 11 cohorts of ‘Diagnosing Dementia’ training and seven masterclass sessions successfully held, and a new Faculty Committee being recruited, the Wales Dementia Faculty is on course to become a nationally recognised network of expertise in pre-diagnostic and diagnostic dementia care.

Looking forward, MAS is poised to build on this momentum and is continuing its journey of innovation, partnership, and progress—committed to shaping the future of dementia care in Wales.