Last month, Curia UK hosted a dementia sprint in Northamptonshire to explore ways to enhance existing dementia care pathways. The event, hosted by Northamptonshire Carers and facilitated by former Minister for Innovation in the Department of Health and Social Care, Lord James O’Shaughnessy, and former CEO of NICE, Gillian Leng, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss and devise innovative solutions for dementia care.
Attendees included key leaders from:
- Alzheimer’s Society
- Dementia UK
- Univeristy of Northampton
- North Northamptonshire Council
- Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
- Northamptonshire Carers
- Northamptonshire ICB
- Med Frontier UK
- Age UK
- Northampton General Hospital NHFT
- Vuit
The State of Dementia in the UK
Dementia presents one of the biggest health challenges of this generation; one in three people born today will develop the disease. With one million people in the UK predicted to have dementia by 2025 and the current cost of £26 billion a year to the UK economy, there is a huge financial and societal impact, yet we are still without treatment. To improve population health and reduce inequalities across the UK, the challenge is to ensure adoption of life-changing innovations and push Dementia to the forefront of the Government’s policy agenda.
In 2023, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission supported by Curia launched their Dementia Commission report at Westminster Abbey. The report was featured on BBC News and can be downloaded here.
Sessions at Crispin Community Centre
During the sprint, two sessions were held at the Crispin Community Centre, focusing on under-65 and over-65 individuals diagnosed with dementia.
In the morning session, younger dementia persons participated in activities related to the 2024 Olympics. This provided a dynamic environment for NHS directors, carers, and charity representatives to observe, speak to the Dementia persons and gather insights.
The afternoon session involved older individuals with dementia, along with their loved ones and carers, participating in similar activities. This allowed the attendees of the sprint to observe the broader impact of the disease on families and gather comprehensive evidence for their discussions on enhancing existing care models.
Sprint Sessions and Collaborative Innovations
After the separate sprint sessions, all attendees gathered to create innovative solutions to devise the most impactful care pathways.
Key suggestions included maintaining continuous dialogue to deepen understanding within healthcare systems and using Northamptonshire’s exemplary practices as a model for other regions.
Empowering individuals in the diagnostic journey and achieving consensus among medical colleges were highlighted as essential for standardising care. Additionally, it was emphasised that hospitals need to be more dementia-friendly, possibly through specialised units, and that discharge processes should be planned from the point of admission to ensure seamless transitions.
Emphasis was also placed on supporting carers, recognising their vital role, and considering long-term solutions such as accommodating partners of those diagnosed with dementia. Introducing personalised tools like a “blue book” or electronic business card to remind individuals of their needs can significantly improve care.
These steps, amongst others (which will be detailed in our Dementia Report – see below), collectively aim to create a more effective dementia care system.
Final Thought
This sprint brought together industry leaders, NHS directors, Northamptonshire Carers, and dementia charities to successfully discuss and draft an efficient care management plan to be applied to ICBs across England.
CEO of Northamptonshire Carers, Mark Major, concluded by stating that the day had helped to identify where the care focus could and should be and emphasised the importance of co-production. He further highlighted the significance of partnerships and integrated approaches in delivering the best outcomes.
A full report detailing the aims, methodology, care pathway findings, and suggestions will be published soon on our publications page. For more information about subscribing to Curia UK’s Health, Care, and Life Sciences Research Group, please email team@curiauk.com.
