Nurse recruited to expand dementia research

Inês Rodrigues has been conducting cognitive tests as part of a dementia research trial

A hospital has become the first in the country to hire a dementia research nurse to expand clinical trials, improve early diagnosis and study new treatments.

Inês Rodrigues, at University Hospital Southampton, is part of a UK-wide network of experts being recruited following a £3m investment by the Alzheimer's Society.

Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, but the charity said research currently lags far behind other diseases and medical conditions.

The charity said conducting more potentially life-changing clinical trials was "vital".

Last year for every 45 people involved in cancer-related studies, there was just one taking part in research into dementia.

Inês Rodrigues, Alzheimer's Society UK Dementia Trials Network research nurse

Senior research sister Ms Rodrigues has more than a decade of experience conducting clinical trials.

She will work with local hospitals, GPs, memory clinics and community dementia services to encourage a diverse range of people to join future research programmes.

"We want to bring in more trials, so we can offer more opportunities for people who are now living with dementia, and the ones that will live with it in the future," she said.

"What we hear from them is that they want to be involved, they want to shape the future, even if it's not for their own benefit.

"Without the research you can't make progress, you can't find new ways of doing things."

Volunteer Alan Lynch, from Romsey, who is 69, said he was generally healthy, adding: "There's nobody in my immediate family, or anybody that are near or distant relatives, that I'm aware has dementia.

"I guess that potential is in us all, in terms of all the other major diseases, and only time will tell. "

The 69-year-old is part of a trial of a potential new treatment that involves taking a pill each day, and occasionally visiting a hospital for blood pressure and other measurements.

"I have various physiological, neurological and cognitive tests. They're not difficult. They are things that we could all do," he said.

"I felt I could make a contribution. And certainly being on it gives me a sense of feeling that I'm doing something worthwhile."

Alan Lynch, 69, from Romsey, does not have dementia but is part of clinical trial

Laura Rooney is lead research nurse at the Alzheimer's Society.

"I've been involved in caring for patients where previously thought-to-be incurable conditions have now been cured," she said.

"These treatments are benefitting those far beyond those who took part in the clinical trial.

"That's the hope that research gives, that is the power of clinical trials, and that's what I want to offer everybody living with dementia, appropriate to their care.

"We know people living with dementia are keen to take part in research but so few are offered the opportunity, whether at diagnosis or further along their dementia journey."