NHS Lanarkshire hosted the first ever national John’s Campaign conference.

Senior nurses and other senior staff from health and care providers from around Scotland attended the event in Hamilton.

Gillian McAuley, chief of nursing services at Wishaw General Hospital, said: “The event provided attendees with information about John’s Campaign and the opportunity to make pledges on behalf of their organisation, service or department.

“We had the pleasure of having presentations from a number of people with dementia and relatives. We also had the privilege of hearing Julia Jones, who co-founded John’s Campaign, speak about her journey.”

Julia Jones said: “It was humbling to think that the single small change for which my friend Nicci Gerrard and I campaign, could be so comprehensively and professionally implemented and affect the lives of others in a way that is so inexpressibly profound.”

‘Musical Memories’, a choir made up of people with a dementia diagnosis as well as carers, family or friends, entertained the audience with a musical interlude.

Julia added: “I am certain that the attendees at the NHS Lanarkshire conference went away with their personal pledges singing in their hearts and minds and now to be turned into actions.”

One of the speakers, Stewart Black, was diagnosed with vascular dementia when he was 51.

Stewart, a former aeronautical engineer, said: “If there is one thing that I would like you to take away from today is that dementia comes in many forms and it isn’t just something older people get. Those of us who have been diagnosed can be at different stages of our journey.

“In most cases our carers are our rocks and it is vital that they are given respect and support as our journey with dementia is their journey too in more ways that anyone will ever understand.”