9 March 2026
A new specialist Nursing team has been established to support patients with dementia and/or delirium.
The Dementia and Delirium Clinical Nurse Specialist Team at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust will support wards and departments, helping to ensure high-quality, effective care for people experiencing dementia and/or delirium.
The team includes Clinical Nurse Specialists Sophie Dallaway and Jodie O’Hagan, supported by Krystie Isaac, Matron for Older Adult Medicine, and Dr Sureena Janagal and Dr Natalie McNeela, Consultants in Older Adult Medicine.
Jodie said: “The Clinical Nurse Specialists will provide expert guidance on the care of people living with dementia and/or delirium, while also supporting carers and families from pre-diagnosis through to bereavement.
“Our work will centre on person-centred, holistic care planning and driving improvements aligned with national initiatives.
“The team is working collaboratively with other teams across the Trust to identify current gaps in services and improve overall care standards.”
Sophie said: “We will support dementia and delirium care through early identification, assessment, ongoing support, and safe, effective discharge planning.
“We are also offering training sessions on dementia and delirium to enhance staff knowledge, skills, and confidence in line with best practice.
“The team will support the development of Dementia Champions across the Trust.”
Dementia poses a major and escalating challenge for the NHS. In 2024, 483,000 people aged 65 and over in England hold a formal diagnosis, with around 900,000 people affected nationally, including an estimated 3,100 in Wolverhampton.
Debra Hickman, Chief Nursing Officer at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “Dementia’s impact on acute care is profound. A quarter of our inpatients have and are living with dementia.
“Establishing a Dementia and Delirium Specialist Team offers a focused, cost-effective response. It enables earlier identification, specialist intervention, improved staff and carer support, and more co-ordinated discharge planning, ultimately enhancing outcomes, reducing avoidable admissions, and supporting the Trust’s commitment to safe,
effective, and sustainable care for a highly vulnerable population.”
The team will be at the Heart and Lung Centre, ground floor, between 10am and 3pm on 11 March to mark World Delirium Day.