Carers and cared for people living with age-related conditions have said how disappointed they are at losing a fight to keep a dedicated dementia nurse.

Carers and a Tavistock community support group for people with dementia and related conditions appealed to a Livewell Southwest (a health and social care organisation) consultation not to cut back its ‘vital’ healthy ageing team’s (HAT) Admiral Nurse in a review of services.

Admiral Nurses can avoid care crises escalating at home, leading to the cared-for ending up in hospital and carers also suffering extreme stress.

Graham Coiley, Tavistock Memory Café trustees chair, said: “Disappointingly, Livewell Southwest have confirmed the HAT in Tavistock and West Devon is being redeployed. People living with dementia and their carers will no longer be visited by a dedicated dementia specialist Admiral Nurse and supported through the challenges of living at home with dementia.”

A Livewell Southwest spokesperson said: “Service users and carers shouldn’t anticipate significant changes to the service they receive as it will largely be an internal referral rerouting.

“All the referral routes to support that would usually be accessed via [the]Admiral Nurse are still available via other referring clinicians.”

Graham added: “Livewell Southwest acknowledge this 'highly valued service' and recognise that the Admiral Nurse has been a 'lifeline' for those with dementia. Nonetheless the service has been cut.

“This announcement came after Louise Casey, who led the government social care review, [spoke of] ‘the failure of the NHS and social care to respond to the seismic challenge of dementia and Alzheimer’s’ and referred to ‘institutional bunfights’ over who footed the bill, with ‘families picking up the pieces’.

One person receiving Admiral Nurse care in Tavistock said: "Without the Admiral Nurse’s expertise to sift through what is and what is not useful, ascertain the best order in which to do things and to provide a listening, understanding and caring ear, I and so many others would not have done so well on this undesirable journey we find ourselves on.

“At Tavistock Memory Cafe we fear that families will struggle to pick up the pieces in the absence of specialist statutory support, with voluntary charity organisations increasingly shouldering the burden of offering advice, therapy and support.”

HAT frailty/dementia services, including a frailty nurse and administrator, were commissioned in 2024 by the West Devon Primary Care Network (GPs/social/community care) and Livewell.

Since then there has been increased wider support for dementia/frailty in the community to keep users out of hospital, says Livewell.

A Livewell Southwest spokesman said HAT’s frailty/dementia care services previously offered to West Devon would now be provided regionally: “This is a considerable investment in supporting escalating care needs at community-level before they become a hospital admission.

“The services consider the person’s wider health and care needs as a whole, extending to how carers and loved ones are supported.

“We benefit now from support of pharmacists and specialist doctors as well as our nursing and therapists that wrap around.”

HAT staff affected are “being supported to explore clinical opportunities within Livewell’s wider services”.