Co. Antrim firm, 6D Dementia, has won a major contract to deliver a large-scale new dementia training programme for frontline staff across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire, commissioned by NHS Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board.
The NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB), currently serves a population of over one million people. When completed, 500 health and social care staff from hospitals, community services, local authorities, and the voluntary sector in the local area will have undertaken the specialist dementia training.
Delivery of the new contract comes as the UK faces rapidly rising dementia rates. Around 982,000 people are currently living with the condition, a figure expected to pass one million by 2030 and reach 1.4 million by 2040. The cost to society, estimated at £25bn in 2021, is projected to rise to £30bn by the end of this decade.
National dementia-care expert
6D Dementia, based in Portrush, Co Antrim, was founded by Dr Frances Duffy. The company is currently one of only four companies accepted onto theAlzheimer’s Society’s Accelerator Programme. In recent days, it was also announced as one of 16 global finalists in the Isle of Man Innovation Challenge 2026, as a company with the potential to make a meaningful difference to people and communities across the Island.
Dr Duffy is a consultant clinical psychologist and national dementia-care expert who has authored best practice guidelines for Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency and the British Psychological Society (BPS), contributed to the Northern Ireland Regional Dementia Care Pathway, and serves on national committees of the BPS and the Association of Clinical Psychologists. She is also an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow. The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme was established in 2016 to equip NHS staff with the commercial skills, experience, and knowledge necessary to accelerate innovations in healthcare.
Company milestone
Speaking about delivery of the new programme, Dr Duffy said: “As a business, our priorities align with those of the NHS Long Term Plan and the Northern Ireland Reset Plan, meaning our model is built on transitioning from sickness to prevention, from hospital to community, and from analogue to digital. I believe this contract for 6D Dementia marks a proud moment for us as a company and for Northern Ireland’s health innovation sector, as it reinforces our ability to meet those priorities while developing commercially scalable, world-class, transformational healthcare solutions for use at home and for export.
“As a society we are facing rapidly rising dementia rates, so it is hugely significant for people living in the area that the ICB has taken the lead and chosen to invest in specialist training that is practical, accessible, and designed to make a real difference to families and frontline staff alike. Their decision to invest in our specialist training is a powerful endorsement of what 6D Dementia has built, and of its value in delivering measurable outcomes, cost savings for stretched health systems, better support for staff and carers, and, most importantly, real dignity for people living with dementia.”
Ease budget pressures
6D Dementia’s training is grounded in established psychological and dementia-care evidence, alongside years of frontline clinical experience from Dr. Duffy. It seeks to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and to ease pressure on health and social care budgets by supporting reductions in crisis, escalation, and unnecessary hospital admissions and more appropriate use of antipsychotic medication. Its mix of online modules, care planning tools, and face-to-face sessions will help staff better understand the progression of dementia, support people experiencing distress, and improve the consistency and quality of care. The approach also aims to reduce stress for carers and improve staff wellbeing and retention.
Speaking about the training, David Moss, Locality Director at BNSSG ICB, added: “We are delighted to commission dementia training of this type and on this scale. This has only been possible because of the strong relationships and close working between our locality partnerships: the teams of NHS staff, local councils, voluntary organisations and community groups who work side‑by‑side every day. Their shared commitment to supporting people living with dementia means we can invest in specialist training that reflects real local needs and helps improve care where it matters most.
“Investing in specialist dementia training is a key part of our Joint Forward Plan, as we aim to ensure that people living with dementia, their families, and NHS staff all benefit from the latest thinking in dementia care. This new training programme will help our frontline teams build greater understanding and improve communication. It will help them respond more effectively to the complex needs of those affected, so that people living with dementia are supported by people with the kinds of skills and compassion that can make a real difference to them every day.”
Next on the agenda for 6D Dementia is the rollout of a dedicated training programme for families and loved ones of people living with dementia.
Further information on 6D Dementia and its training packages can be found online at www.6ddementia.com or by emailing info@6DDementia.com