MSNAP is a quality improvement and accreditation network for services that assess, diagnose and treat dementia in the UK. Accreditation assures patients, carers, frontline staff, commissioners, managers, and regulators that your memory service is of a good quality and that staff are committed to improving care. Our aims are to improve the quality of memory services nationally and internationally, through a thorough and supportive assessment against our standards.

Through a model of peer-reviews, MSNAP assesses memory services across the UK (currently 86 member services) against a set of evidence-based standards for memory services. The purpose of our standards is to improve the quality of care provided by memory services. The standards are drawn from relevant policies, guidelines and research literature and have been developed in consultation with our members, our partner organisations and patient and carer networks. MSNAP has launched a developmental membership option which is open to international members to receive an in-depth assessment against our standards.

MSNAP peer reviews of memory services reveal a national picture of challenges faced by memory services within the UK, as well as areas of best practice. These findings demonstrate where further support or resources may be needed within memory services in the UK. For example, the peer reviews have highlighted commonly unmet standards relating to the delivery of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and conducting audits on the capacity to provide psychosocial interventions. Not all services are currently providing people with dementia with access to art/creative therapies.

MSNAP is a unique programme which is recognised globally as being robust and well established in supporting memory services to deliver best practice. The data collected from our MSNAP peer reviews provides a real-time comprehensive oversight that can shape future practices and influence national and local policies to ultimately benefit patients and carers.