A widower is spearheading a campaign to bring back Admiral Nurses in north-west London

A widower, whose wife died of dementia is leading a campaign to bring back Admiral Nurses in Harrow in north-west London.

Neville Hughes, whose wife Nina died two years ago, wants Harrow Council to continue to fund two Admiral Nurses.

The nurses help the family of people with dementia and with their help patients can spend longer at home, rather than in care.

The two Admiral Nurses in Harrow were initially paid for by Dementia UK.

However in 2010, the service was passed on to the council, in the hope it would be taken over by Harrow Primary Care Trust (PCT).

But the PCT withdrew its funding and the council said it could not carry on paying for the service, which was stopped in January 2011.

Mr Hughes, an independent councillor for Harrow, said the borough has been the only to lose its funding and added that people fail to realise how ‘vital’ Admiral Nurses are.

He called the loss of Admiral Nurses ‘a devastating blow for Harrow dementia patients and their carers’.

Last November, Mr Hughes submitted a petition of 2,856 signatures, calling for the nurses' reinstatement, to NHS Hillingdon and Harrow Borough Council.

A statement from NHS Harrow, said: ‘NHS Harrow is committed to leading a review of the current and development of a new Harrow dementia care pathway, in conjunction with Harrow Local Authority, to ensure a whole system effective provision for the population of Harrow.'

'This work has commenced and there will be engagement with local key stakeholders, including Mr Hughes, in the development of the services and pathways.’

The issue will be discussed at Harrow Council's cabinet meeting on 8 March.