Welcome to #OurEntrepreneurs, a series where we meet our innovators and uncover what inspired them to create change. Today, we’re delighted to introduce Dr Sen Varghese Kallumpuram, part of the Dementia Innovators Programme.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a Consultant Psychiatrist working within Luton Memory Services. Alongside my clinical role, I serve as the Training Programme Director for Psychiatric Trainees across Luton and Bedfordshire, supporting the development of the next generation of clinicians.
I have a strong interest in dementia‑related research, with a particular focus on the relationship between physical frailty and dementia, and how this interplay affects diagnosis, care pathways, and long‑term outcomes.
Name: Dr Sen Varghese Kallumpuram, Dementia Innovators Programme Cohort 2
Occupation: Consultant Psychiatrist
Tell us about your innovation
I recently completed an NIHR Impact Fellowship (2025–26), during which I successfully delivered the GP Dementia Pilot Project. This involved training GPs and Senior Nurses to assess, diagnose, and manage patients with advanced dementia and frailty within community settings, helping to build confidence and capability across primary care teams.
Alongside this, I have been collaborating with a GP surgery in Central Bedfordshire to design a pathway that enables clinicians to diagnose advanced dementia within their own practice. As part of this work, I developed a simple, user‑friendly questionnaire, shaped with input from the GP Frailty Lead and the local Third Sector organisation.
A key challenge across the NHS is the lengthy wait patients and families often face when seeking a diagnosis for advanced dementia. These delays can prevent people from planning ahead, accessing appropriate care, and receiving the support they urgently need.
My innovation aims to reduce this waiting time significantly. By equipping primary care teams with the tools and confidence to diagnose advanced dementia earlier, patients and their relatives can access essential services sooner, make informed decisions, and receive timely, compassionate support.
Why did you join the programme and how do you hope it will support you?
I first learned about the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme through my guide at the NIHR, Health Innovation East, who introduced me to the programme and encouraged me to apply. Their support helped me recognise how the programme could strengthen the development of my innovation and provide the structure I need to move it forward.
Through the programme, I hope to refine a clear and sustainable framework for delivering the training package, ensuring it is both scalable and grounded in best practice. I’m also keen to explore how ongoing supervision and monitoring can be embedded effectively, so that the model remains safe, high‑quality, and responsive to the needs of those who use it.
What are your ambitions for the next year?
My ultimate goal for the year is to establish a new Service Delivery Model that enables GPs and Senior Nurses to confidently diagnose frail, housebound patients, and those living in care homes, within their own residence. By bringing diagnosis closer to the patient, this model will ensure that individuals and their carers can access local support sooner, including services such as the Alzheimer’s Society, Social Services, and Dementia Intensive Support teams. This will reduce the time taken to diagnose dementia and boost the dementia diagnosis rates in this region, which are currently below the national average.
We are thrilled to welcome Sen as part of the Dementia Innovators Programme in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society. For more information on the collaboration please visit the Dementia Innovators page.
