How something small can make a big difference: Oxleas NHS Trust YOD Service
Parallel 2
17 November, 2026 3:20 – 4:30 pmYoung Onset Dementia (1)
Over my 19 years working in healthcare, I have been consistently drawn to supporting people living with dementia. My current role allows me to expand much further than before by truly working with people and their families; navigating challenges, identifying service gaps that are important to the people living with the disease and looking at creative ways to fill some of these gaps.
I have worked for Oxleas NHS Trust since March 2023, firstly as an Admiral Nurse, establishing and developing a new service in Greenwich. Since November 2024, I have held the role of Young Onset Dementia Nurse, shaping and expanding this specialist provision across Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich within the trust.
Before joining Oxleas, I worked as a District Nurse in Kent, specialising in leg ulcer management, leading on student learning and preceptorship, and working closely with urgent care teams.
Summary
After many years of research into best practice, funding into areas that have yielded mixed results and promises of change for dementia care that’s never come, it is no wonder that so many, patients, families and professionals, have lost faith in health and social care being able to provide what is needed day to day to those living with dementia.
How something small can make a big difference. Passion and determination, funding for one nurse to explore young onset dementia support in 3 Southeast London boroughs. Being present, being transparent and working in collaboration with people can be enough for many, allowing you time to concentrate when complexities arise.



