Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust has joined a national campaign which supports the rights of carers to stay with patients with dementia in hospital.

John’s Campaign was officially launched on the trust’s wards, in both the acute and community hospitals including Okehampton, on Monday.

The campaign was founded after the death of Dr John Gerrard in November 2014, by his daughter Nicci. She believes her father, who had Alzheimer’s, would have benefited greatly if she had been able to stay with him during his time in hospital.

Nicci now campaigns for the rights of carers of patients with dementia and similar conditions to stay with their loved ones and be involved with their care if they would like to be. Nicci’s co-campaigner, Julia Jones, supports her 91-year-old mother June, who lives with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

The trust already has flexible visiting in place, but being part of John’s Campaign means carers will now be invited to stay with their loved ones whenever they want to. It also means carers will be given the opportunity to be involved with the care of their loved ones in a practical way.

Nurses will ask families and carers, at the point of admission to hospital, whether they have been caring for the person being admitted and if they would like to continue to be involved in their care. They will also make sure any advice the family and carer can give is written down in the patient’s care plan, and that everybody within the multidisciplinary team caring for the patient knows that the family and carer are partners in care.

Tina Naldrett, deputy director of nursing and dementia clinical lead, said: “We know that having the support of a carer can lead to improved experience and outcomes for patients with dementia.

“We have always aimed to make sure carers are actively involved in the care of a loved one, but this campaign takes that one step further by letting carers decide how involved they would like to be.”

John’s Campaign is about giving carers the right to stay with their loved ones in hospital. It does not aim to place a duty upon carers.

Tina added: “It’s about making carers feel welcome and letting them get involved if they want to, but of course we understand that many carers need respite themselves. This campaign is about giving carers the choice.’

Carers who would like to find out more about John’s Campaign are advised to talk to the nurse in charge when their loved one is admitted to hospital.

Nicci Gerrard and Julia Jones, from John’s Campaign, said: ‘We are thrilled and grateful that Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust is joining John’s campaign, opening its doors to the carers of those who are most vulnerable and frail and making a commitment to compassionate and person-centred care. We whole-heartedly welcome NDHT to our list and send them thanks.’