Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been named as the winner of the Ingrid Fuchs Cancer Nursing Award at the Nursing Times Awards 2023.
The award was given for the nurse-led initiative in improving the prostate cancer pathway.
Jenny Arnold, Prostate Cancer Nurse Specialist at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, spent two years collecting data on patients with prostate cancer who were being monitored on active surveillance, and found that many were not being followed up correctly.
From the data, she worked with Mr Barrass, Urology Cancer Lead Consultant, to design a new evidence-based protocol, introducing a nurse-led and consultant-led follow-up clinic.
The new model ensures patients are followed up in a more stratified way and are seen by either Jenny, Mr Barrass or Mr Punshakran, Oncology Consultant, improving their continuity of care. Using the new protocol, several men have been upgraded and gone on to have radical treatment, which should improve their outcome.
Jenny said: “I am so proud of how wonderful and supportive my team have been and this award shows that with a great team, change can happen. Change in services can have its challenges, but putting the patient first and having a vision is very important.
“I hope by winning this award it will inspire other nurses that if they see something that needs to change in patient care, they shouldn’t be scared to speak up and push for what they believe in.”
The judges were “blown away with the tenacity and resilience that accompanied the nursing leadership of Jenny who has transformed the follow-up prostate cancer pathway”.
Liz Lees, Chief Nurse, said: “This is an outstanding nursing-led initiative to improve the prostate cancer pathway and I am so proud of the Urology and Cancer teams who have worked hard to introduce this.
“It will have a hugely positive impact on patient outcomes and we have already received great feedback that patients feel well supported and are able to better understand their diagnosis.”