Nurse-led implementation of the Closer to Home project to increase access to specialist dementia care.

Abstract

People living with dementia may face barriers to accessing local specialist dementia care in the UK. The Closer to Home (C2H) project, a national initiative led by nurses at Dementia UK in partnership with Leeds Building Society, sought to address this inequality by bringing specialist dementia services nearer to service users. Although C2H had been conceived as a mobile clinic, COVID-19 restrictions required a rapid transition to virtual delivery. Over its lifespan, C2H provided 3521 appointments, nearly 50% more than its original target, and received positive feedback from service users. Its implementation demonstrated how nurse-led innovation, hybrid leadership and cross-sector collaboration can support accessible, person-centred care, while also highlighting the challenges faced by clinical leaders undertaking complex service transformation without formal project management training. The project's legacy includes a sustained virtual clinic, new pop-up services and a bespoke booking system subsequently adopted across multiple services. C2H offers a potentially transferable model for widening access to specialist care and demonstrates the contribution nurses can make to leading and sustaining service innovation.