ARRS can fund enhanced practice dementia nurse role 

Enhanced level practice nurses can be used to develop enhanced dementia nursing roles under ARRS, NHS England (NHSE) has said.  

The inclusion of enhanced level practice nurses into ARRS can now be used to ‘fund and establish’ an enhanced level practice dementia role, such as a general practice nurse (GPN) with a level 7 postgraduate qualification in dementia, or an Admiral Nurse with experience in primary care.  

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) bulletin, published last week, outlined how enhanced level practice nurses ‘will provide vital support for people living with dementia and their carers across the whole dementia pathway, from pre-diagnosis to post-bereavement support’. 

It also outlined that the enhanced practice role would ‘support GPs and nursing teams’ in meeting ‘key objectives’ to improve dementia care and diagnosis.  

Admiral Nurses are dementia specialist nurses who are supported by the charity Dementia UK. They work across local community services, GP practices, care homes, hospices and NHS hospitals. 

Paul Edwards, chief nursing officer at Dementia UK, told our sister title Nursing in Practice that the addition of dementia-specialist Admiral Nurses into the ARRS scheme presents ‘a brilliant opportunity to support families navigating the condition’. 

He said that when offered in primary care settings specialist dementia care can help GPs make informed decisions for those living with the condition, and encourage early interventions that reduce A&E admissions and pressure on GP practices. 

He commented: ‘A collaborative approach between GPs and Admiral Nurses will ensure fewer families reach crisis point and could also improve diagnosis times and accuracy.  

‘This in turn will help empower carers to support their loved ones who are living with dementia – supporting through their journey as a carer through long-term care plans tailored to the individual’s needs, delivered through existing healthcare pathways and in a familiar setting.’ 

Earlier this year, GPNs expressed concerns about the enhanced nurse role being ‘open to interpretation’ and asked for further detail on who is applicable, with some saying it risked further disparities in pay.  

Last month, an exclusive survey from our sister title Pulse PCN, found that almost two-thirds of primary care and community nurses thought GPNs should be included in ARRS.  

The results came after NHS England confirmed the exclusion of GPNs from the scheme was set to be reviewed and as GPs have been added. 

Speaking earlier this year at a Pulse PCN event, NHS England’s national primary care nursing lead Louise Brady said that the ARRS scheme was an opportunity to bring nurses with specialist skills into enhanced nurse roles in PCNs.

‘The ARRS is about the additionality principle. We’d be looking for an experienced nurse to manage complexity at an enhanced level of practice across a PCN,’ she said. 

A version of this story was first published on our sister title Nursing in Practice.