Tens of thousands more sufferers are being diagnosed with dementia each month after the NHS sent specialist teams into care homes to assess residents.
The experts identified 475,573 patients with the condition in September – up more than 52,000 compared with the same time last year, with rates now at a three-year high.
Health chiefs have set a target of diagnosing two thirds of people over 65 with dementia in the next 12 months. The current rate is 64.3 per cent, according to latest figures.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said she is committed to continuing the diagnosis drive so that more sufferers can get the help they urgently need.