AFTER hours of collecting signatures on the streets one widower has forced Harrow council and NHS Harrow to reasses the decision to axe a valuable dementia service.

Neville Hughes, who cared for his wife, Nina, who suffered from dementia, before she died in January 2010, collected 2856 signatures from people who were opposed to getting rid of two Admiral Nurses who made life easier for relatives who cared for loved ones with dementia.

The petition was presented to the council last Thursday, by independent councillor for Headstone North James Bond.

Mr Hughes, 81, said: "I am amazed and staggered by the feeback from the population as a whole. So many people have asked 'why are they cutting this now?' when dementia is increasing. It is amazing that harrow that council cut a serivce like this."

The former independent councillor also presented the petition to NHS Harrow.

Harrow is the only place in the country where this service has been discontinued and appears as a service provider in Harrow council's five year dementia strategy from 2010 - 2015. Brent supports three nurses.

Both the NHS and Harrow council claim that the other was responsible for funding the two nurses, which are provided by Dementia UK and were made redundant on January 1 this year.

But Mr Hughes explained: "The previous attitude of NHS harrow is that Admiral Nurses care for the carers and not the patients and the council claim they care for the patients so it should be the NHS' responsibility. But they are both wrong. Their role through the carers was for the looking after the patients."

In a joint statement from Paul Najsarek, corporate director of adult services, Harrow council and Javina Seghal, borough director, NHS Harrow said: "As a result of a recent allocation of funding from the Department of Health the council and PCT are meeting to plan a new service that would further support residents suffering with dementia in the borough. We want to engage stakeholders and residents as part of our preparations to ensure their views and experience is taken into consideration."

Clare Goldschmidt, 63, of Wellington Road, Hatch End cared for her mother who had dementia and is part of the Carers Partnership Board, which works with Harrow council and care groups to put forward carers' opinions. She said: "If you are looking after someone who can't explain what they want it can be emotionally very draining. I think the Admiral Nurses have an expertise that you don't find any where else."

Mr Hughes, of Balmoral Road, added: "I have been involved in the local community for 50 years and I have had a greater, more positive response to this than anything I have ever worked on in the past. I have also had letters and phone calls from people who have also had personal experiences of the Admiral Nurses saying how happy they are to see someone doing something, and that is most gratifying."