Three Norfolk CCGs are to develop their dementia nursing services, following a successful two-year Admiral Nurse pilot.
The CCGs will commission the following services:
- South Norfolk CCG will fund an Admiral Nurse Consultant and two Admiral Nurses. Norwich CCG will be funding an Admiral Nurse Consultant. The posts will be fixed-term contracts, to enable CCGs to develop their dementia services and inform future commissioning.
- Age UK has provided funding for two dementia Wellbeing Coordinators for South Norfolk. They will work closely with the Admiral Nurses to provide continuing support to carers and people with dementia, who face less complex issues and require help to access local services for other forms of support.
- West Norfolk CCG will increase post-diagnosis support for people living with dementia and their carers, which will include Admiral nurses, Dementia advisers and dementia support workers.
An evaluation of the pilot in Norfolk showed that the service saved over £440,000 for health and social care in the first 10 months. The community-based service also reduced the families' need for contact time with GPs, nurses and social workers.
Zena Aldridge, Norfolk Admiral nurse lead, said: 'I am delighted that Admiral nurses will continue to be present in Norfolk and that more people with dementia, their families and professionals will be able to access specialist support in the local area. I look forward to working collaboratively with the CCG's in the further development of dementia services for Norfolk as we build on the success of the pilot.'
Admiral nurses are specialist dementia nurses who provide emotional and practical support for the whole family following a dementia diagnosis. The pilot was led by Dementia UK in partnership with Age UK Norfolk and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Hilda Hayo, chief admiral nurse at Dementia UK, said: 'The success of the pilot service shows the impact that that the Admiral nurse intervention had in giving families the tools to live positively with dementia, as well as the huge financial savings for health and social care in the area. We are absolutely delighted that this service will now be rolled out further to support even more families living with the effects of dementia in Norfolk.'