ALZHEIMER’S Support has won an award for its work to help reduce waiting times for dementia diagnosis in Wiltshire.

Its Early Diagnosis Project was described as “a fantastic piece of work” by the national clinical director for dementia Alistair Burns who handed over the Wessex Dementia Timeline award at an NHS England conference in Southampton.

When the Trowbridge-based charity started the project, which was funded by Comic Relief, waiting times for diagnosis were over 12 months with rates standing at just 33 per cent.

Now, the average wait in the county is just four weeks and more than 60 per cent of those affected having a diagnosis.

Project manager Stephany Bardzil, who picked up the award on behalf of the project team said: “This is down to the great work of the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group and to GPs but we know our report into the barriers to diagnosis published in 2012 had a great effect in highlighting the dreadful situation as it was then in Wiltshire. Since then our memory awareness volunteers have also made a great difference helping people understand more about the early symptoms and the importance of going to the GP with memory worries.”

The charity is seeking more memory awareness volunteers to continue the good work. For more information, call 01225 776481.