Three volunteers who work in South Essex on a scheme, pioneered in Thurrock, to develop new services for people with young-onset dementia have won a national award.

Paul Harvey, Eamonn Dobbyn and Tim Little were recently awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award 2023 at the Alzheimer's Society's national Dementia Hero Awards event.

The trio, part of the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) that is one of the multi-layered administrative bodies running health care in the region, have personal experience of young-onset dementia and have helped the Trust and partners in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System co-design and develop services for other people with the same condition.

Their valued work has resulted in new peer support and diagnosis services, and a Memory Assessment Service, which is currently being piloted, for people aged under 65. The new diagnosis service is run by EPUT.

They said: "We cannot change the process for those already diagnosed but we are working tirelessly for those who will come through that pathway in the future.

"We want a diagnosis to be the start of the next chapter of your life and not the end of it."

Paul Harvey, Eamonn Dobbyn and Tim Little

Paul, Eamonn and Tim are also members of the Alzheimer's Dementia Peer Buddy scheme, and support patients to come to terms with their diagnosis and live as full a life as possible in the community.

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Kirsty Dinnage, EPUT's Young-Onset Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: "Many congratulations to Tim, Paul and Eamonn on winning the Outstanding Achievement Award.

"I have the pleasure of working closely with them in the development of our young-onset dementia diagnostic pathway in mid and south Essex.

 "Their enthusiasm in supporting others with young-onset dementia is truly commendable and their willingness to share their lived experience to shape services is invaluable."

Dr Feena Sebastian, Deputy Medical Director for Mid and South Community Services at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Congratulations to our early onset dementia peers for winning such a well-deserved award.

"Working in partnership with people who have their own experience of dementia is key to enable the transformation and redesign of dementia services for our local population.

"Our involvement in this partnership work, along with our inspirational volunteers and our partners across the integrated care system, means that we can continue to provide better and more informed care and support for people and families who may experience dementia."

EPUT runs the assessment service, which is currently offered across Basildon, Wickford and Brentwood following a successful launch in Thurrock earlier this year.

It will eventually cover the whole of mid and south Essex.

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The service is for patients under the age of 65 who are displaying symptoms of potential dementia.

The Trust also run a dementia and memory assessment service for older patients.