Phil Parker has worked in the field of mental health for nearly a decade now, starting out on the out-of-hours mental health helpline, Saneline. He then worked as a Volunteer Coordinator in South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, finding people voluntary work as part of their recovery from severe and enduring mental illness. He went to King’s College to become a registered Mental Health Nurse and began his career in nursing in Richmond CMHT for older people, initially as an Inreach Nurse, then as a Memory Nurse working within the Richmond Memory Service. More recently, Phil became a Community Dementia Nurse for Merton Community Services and set up a team which integrates physical and mental health services in the area. This year, he became a Dementia Clinical Nurse Lead, and leads the Merton Dementia and End-of-Life care team, provided by the innovative Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust. His passion for high quality dementia care drives him to optimise the quality of life for people with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers.