Improving care for patients with dementia earned a doctor a national award.

Dr Sophie Edwards, a consultant at the North Middlesex University Hospital, won the individual category in the Kate Granger Compassion in Care awards yesterday for her work with dementia patients.

Dr Edwards was nominated for her work developing a way to help patients with dementia build and maintain relationships with ward staff and other health workers.

She said: “The initiatives we have introduced are all about connecting with the patient as a person.

“We can learn more about a patient when we know more about them as people, about their life, and that, in turn, can improve the care we provide.

“The award is testament to the improvements in the quality of care we provide for patients with dementia. But this is just a start and we cannot be complacent, we must keep on looking for ways in which we can improve.”

The Kate Granger awards were created by NHS Employers organisation and NHS England in honour of the award-winning blogger and NHS doctor Kate Granger.

Dr Granger is a terminally ill cancer patient, who regularly tweets and blogs about her treatment and care in the NHS.

Dr Edwards said: “I am a bit overwhelmed really. Kate Granger does work that no-one else does. The campaigning for how we should engage with patients, about her own care – all while being ill.

“It is an honour to receive this recognition in her name.”

The awards were given out on the second day of the Health and Social Care Expo, in Manchester, on Monday.

Dr Granger said of the winners: “It was a difficult decision but the winners really are outstanding examples of patient-centred care.

“It is often the smallest things that can make the biggest impact on patient care. This is certainly what I have found as a patient and an observer of the way care is delivered.”