NHS Research Scotland Champion leads dementia diagnosis project following selection for £80m fund
An NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Network Champion is leading a project to test new technologies in the NHS as part of efforts to speed up dementia diagnosis
The project—headed up by Dr Tom Russ, Clinical Research Champion of the NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network (NRS NDN)—is one of just nine recipients of an £80 million Dementia Challenge fund provided by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with the other eight based across England.
Entitled ‘Implementing a streamlined dementia pathway in NHS Scotland’, the project will “fundamentally redesign how people with suspected dementia in Scotland have their condition investigated and diagnosed—significantly speeding up the process”.
Dr Russ—Reader in Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh and Consultant Psychiatrist at NHS Lothian, working in the memory clinic and two specialist dementia units—said: “We will co-create a streamlined, future-proofed system that reduces delays, improves patient experiences, and integrates research into routine NHS care.
“We hope this will make a real difference to the experience of people receiving a dementia diagnosis in Scotland and their families.”
He will be working alongside Professor of Healthcare for Older People, Ageing and Health, at the University of Edinburgh, Susan Shenkin. The Honorary Consultant at NHS Lothian and Co-Chair of Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) Scotland places a primary focus on care home research and the impact of delirium and dementia.
They will be joined by Consultant Neurologist of NHS Fife and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Tim Wilkinson, who is also part of NRS NDN. His main research focus is on early phase dementia trials, and on the interplay between vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
Full-time Lecturer in Health Economics and Econometrics at the University of Edinburgh, Elizabeth Lemmon and Research Fellow Katey Warran will be leading on the health economic and qualitative evaluation aspects of the project, co-produced with people with lived experience.
The team has proposed three linked innovations to replace the current model for diagnosis:
- A single point of referral for all patients with suspected dementia, reducing uncertainty for GPs about which service would best meet a particular person’s needs and removing unnecessary duplication of appointments
- Comprehensive triage so that each patient is seen by the right service at the right time; for patients with complex needs, a dedicated ‘complexity stream’ will ensure multi-disciplinary input to meet all health needs rather than just focusing on the suspected dementia
- A standardised pathway for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will free up diagnostic appointment capacity; alongside people waiting to be assessed and post-diagnosis, this will serve as a ‘living lab’ offering patients access to cutting-edge research, new biomarkers, and participation in trials of future treatments
Dr Russ and team are aiming for two-tier benefits—that people with dementia and their families experience easier access to services, reduced waiting times, and more personalised care, while the NHS realise increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved service capacity.
Strategically, the team believes the project can help Scotland become “a national hub for dementia research, capable of testing innovations in real-world settings”.
Dr Russ, who recently appeared on three BBC radio shows to discuss an Alzheimer’s Society campaign for an 18-week referral-to-diagnosis target for dementia, said: “The Dementia Challenge is an excellent, much-needed approach to accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and practices that aim to better diagnose and predict how the disease will progress.
“With diagnosis often taking more than a year, it is clear that there is significant room for improvement, not just here in Scotland, but right across the UK.
“We are proud to have been a beneficiary of initial UKRI funding, but in order to receive further support, we must prove that our redesigning of Scotland's dementia diagnosis pathway is working.
“We believe that we will be able to do so.”
The project will be tested within NHS Scotland with the Dementia Challenge setting a target to all projects of 92% of people referred for a diagnosis assessment to receive their results within 18 weeks—up from around 60% currently.
The Challenge is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade via UKRI's Research & Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP) programme.
UKRI is partnering with industry, academia, the NHS, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Health Innovation Network, and the third sector to deliver the challenge.
Publication date: 29th October 2026
