THE care a Bolton nurse has shown helping to improve the lives of vulnerable patients has been recognised internationally.

Chris Davidson has been chosen from hundreds of candidates as a Best Dementia Lead finalist in the National Dementia Care Awards 2017.

The Dementia Nurse Specialist at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is the only person to be nominated in the category from an NHS Trust, which is testament to the innovative work being done at Bolton around dementia care.

Mr Davidson said: "It is a privilege to be nominated in these national awards, let alone be selected as a finalist!

"I’m thrilled to represent Bolton for the work that we do around dementia care, and I’m very much looking forward to the awards night."

During his time in Bolton, Mr Davidson has been involved in a number of projects helping to improve the care of dementia patients at Royal Bolton Hospital.

An active member of the trust and The Bolton News £1 for Dementia campaign, he has trekked from Blackpool to Bolton to raise funds to improve dementia-friendly facilities for the hospital, helped launch memory boxes for patients with the condition and organised a World rocks Against Dementia concert night.

He was nominated for the awards by a colleague and picked as one of the four finalists by a panel of judges.

The National Dementia Care Awards is an annual event organised by The Journal of Dementia Care and received more than 500 nominations this year.

Winners will be presented with their trophies at a gala night at Doncaster Racecourse on November 9.

Marie Forshaw, deputy director of nursing at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust added: "We’re very proud to be the only NHS Trust represented in this category nationally.

"Chris’s role is a vital one. The work he has done around improving the environment at the hospital for our patients with dementia, is having a really positive impact when they’re in our care. We know though that there is more to do, and we are continuously looking to improve our services with the best possible patient care in mind.

"We’re optimistic he will go all the way at the awards in November."