Herbert Protocol for Dementia in England: How to Complete and Use It

What the Herbert Protocol Is and Why It Matters

Around 70% of people living with dementia will go missing at least once. When a confused, vulnerable person walks out of the house and doesn't come back, every minute counts — and police officers arriving at the scene need detailed information immediately, not a panicked family trying to remember what their parent was wearing.

The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme, named after George Herbert (a war veteran who lived with dementia), that gives police a pre-completed information pack to speed up the search. You fill in the form before an emergency happens, keep it accessible, and hand it over if your parent goes missing.

It is free and voluntary, and is used by police forces across England.

What Information the Form Requires

The Herbert Protocol form collects details that most families wouldn't think to provide in a crisis:

• Recent photograph — updated regularly, showing current appearance
• Physical description — height, build, hair colour, distinguishing features, glasses, hearing aids
• Current medications — critical for medical teams if your parent is found unwell
• Past home addresses — people with dementia often try to return to childhood homes or previous residences
• Former workplaces — another common destination
• Routine walking routes — favourite shops, parks, pubs, places of worship
• Favourite places and comfort locations — a bench in a park, a friend's old house, a specific café
• Known habits — do they always turn left from the front door? Do they follow bus routes they used to take?
• Medical conditions — dementia subtype, mobility issues, medication needs, risk of falls

This information lets police narrow down the search area immediately instead of starting from scratch.

How to Complete and Store the Form

Step 1: Download the form. Your local police constabulary's website will have a downloadable version. Search "[your county] police Herbert Protocol" — each force uses the same national template with minor local variations.

Step 2: Fill it in thoroughly. The past addresses and workplace sections are particularly important. Talk to older family members who might know addresses from decades ago. A parent with Alzheimer's may head for a house they lived in forty years ago — the police need that address.

Step 3: Attach a recent photo. Update it every few months — appearance changes, and an outdated photo slows identification.

Step 4: Store it where you can grab it instantly. Keep a printed copy by the front door, in the car, and with any regular carer. Also keep a digital copy on your phone.

Step 5: Update it regularly. Medications change, physical appearance changes, routines shift. Review the form every three months.

Registering with MedicAlert

MedicAlert UK offers a way to hold your parent's clinical profile digitally. If your parent wears a MedicAlert bracelet or pendant and is found by police or paramedics, the ID number can link responders to the information recorded with MedicAlert.

This is particularly valuable if your parent is found confused and unable to give their name or address — the ID number on the bracelet links directly to their file.

MedicAlert membership costs around £30 per year plus the cost of the ID jewellery. It is not free, but for a parent who wanders, it provides a direct link between the person found and the information emergency services need.

What to Do If Your Parent Goes Missing

1. Call 999 immediately — do not wait to search first. Tell the operator your parent has dementia and that a Herbert Protocol form is on file (or ready to hand over). This triggers a vulnerable person search, which gets a faster police response than a standard missing person report
2. Search the immediate area if it is safe — garden, nearby streets, and any locations they routinely walk to
3. Provide the Herbert Protocol form to the responding officers
4. Alert neighbours and ask them to check gardens, sheds, and garages
5. Contact the care home if your parent was in residential care — they should have their own copy of the form and incident procedures

The police will use the form's information to check past addresses, routine routes, and favourite locations. In cold weather, the search becomes urgent — people with dementia who go missing are at high risk of hypothermia, falls, and disorientation.

Additional Safety Measures

The Herbert Protocol works alongside other safety precautions:

• Door alarms and pressure mats that alert you when your parent moves toward an exit
• GPS tracking devices worn as a watch or pendant
• Keysafe for emergency access by carers and trusted family; check with your local police service about any emergency-access scheme
• Neighbourhood awareness — letting immediate neighbours know your parent has dementia so they watch out for unusual activity

Our Dementia Care in England guide includes a complete wandering safety plan, a Herbert Protocol completion checklist, and template letters for notifying neighbours and local services.

See more England guides →