Service evaluation and quality improvement of Leeds neurology cognitive service: an ESREP project

<h3>Background</h3> UK memory clinics vary in exclusion criteria, often restricting admission by age &gt;65, or neurological co-morbidity. The Leeds Neurology Cognitive Service (LNCS) was established to investigate cognitive decline without restriction. An ESREP service development project was undertaken to evaluate this new service and to allow design of interventions tailored to the patient population. <h3>Methods</h3> Electronic clinical notes from LNCS patients (2016 to 2022) were used to record the following: referral source, time to first appointment, accompanying person, patient demographics, investigations and diagnosis. <h3>Results</h3> 229 patients (49% female, 51% male) with an average age of 57.55 years were seen in the LNCS. The most common diagnosis was dementia (35%), with Alzheimer’s Disease the most prevalent. Of these, 53% were aged &lt;65 at the first appointment. Other diagnoses included cognitive impairment secondary to other conditions (33%), and subjective cognitive disorders (17%). <h3>Discussion</h3> These findings highlight the importance of services that cater towards a younger population. Subsequently this data was utilised to design a leaflet for young-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. The data also showed a significant proportion of patients experienced secondary cognitive symptoms. As these patients would not typically be offered support from memory clinics, resources for these groups could be developed further.