Surrey NHS Trust reveals innovative test for spotting dementia

“It’s a really exciting time for dementia research,” said Professor Ramin Nilforooshan, a consultant psychiatrist at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS (SABP).

Although dementia is often spoken about in sobering terms, for Dr Nilforooshan and his team, it also represents one of the most promising fronts for medical innovation in the UK.

SABP is trialling a groundbreaking blood test which could diagnose dementia years earlier- potentially offering hope to thousands of families affected by dementia.

“We’re one of the few NHS centres in the country delivering new research for people with dementia,” he explains.

Currently, diagnosis relies on memory assessments, brain scans and subjects’ symptom reporting.

But the new screening blood test can detect abnormalities in the brain before severe damage even begins, the dementia specialist said.

Dr Nilforooshan, the director of research and development at the Trust, says early diagnosis is key to improving the lives of people with dementia.

“Getting a diagnosis earlier gives people time to plan their lives, get their finances in order, maybe take a holiday they never had,” he said.

“It takes away the uncertainty.”

For Dementia Action Week 2025 (May 19-25), SABP is encouraging people to step forward for an early diagnosis and take part in fresh research.

The Trust is now recruiting for 200 people to participate in this study, those over 45 with memory concerns and those without.

While still in its testing phase, the innovative blood test could eventually become part of standard NHS practice.

According to SABP, the blood test has a high accuracy rate and can potentially identify different types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

People referred to the Trust’s memory services by a GP can ask to be part of this study to receive the blood test.

Symptoms of dementia, as pointed out by the NHS, include: memory loss, difficulty concentrating, finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping, struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word, being confused about time and place or mood changes.

Surrey and Borders is also part of dementia research which includes home-based technology trials using sensors and AI.

Small devices are placed in patients’ homes – like bed mats and door sensors – can flag early signs of problems, like infections or falls, before they escalate.

The tech essentially allows the medical staff to act early before someone ends up in hospital.

Despite these advances, Dr Nilforooshan warned that the UK is facing a “ticking time bomb” as the population ages.

He said dementia currently costs the NHS £30bn a year, and with fewer family carers available, the system is under growing strain.

SABP’s research and development team is involved in the new wave of clinical drug trials for dementia – treatments which are designed to slow or even modify the disease rather than mask the symptom.

If you are interested in being part of research, you can contact the research and development team at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to find out about opportunities to take part in trials/studies.