Overview

• The MELODIC intervention was co-designed by Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, patients, families and staff through 49 interviews in early 2025
• Over four weeks on two mental health dementia wards, an embedded music therapist delivered clinical sessions and tailored musical care plans involving singing, playing and listening
• Quantitative data recorded slight quality-of-life gains and reductions in distress and disruptive behaviors, although agitation scores rose marginally
• No increases in routinely reported incidents or adverse events were linked to the music therapy, demonstrating its feasibility in complex inpatient settings
• Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, the low-cost model—£2,025 monthly plus £400 in equipment—has prompted NHS leaders to pursue larger-scale trials