The BJN Awards are a showcase of nursing excellence, highlighting the critical contribution that nurses make to healthcare. They represent a fantastic opportunity to gain the recognition that hard work and dedication so richly deserves, and a chance to commemorate achievement in the nursing profession.
Mary has been shortlisted in the Innovation category which is for nurses who have developed a genuinely innovative approach to nurse-led care within their area of practice.
Mary works as a Non-Medical Prescriber with One Recovery Bucks substance misuse team in Buckinghamshire. They recognised that the vast majority of their patients with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) were not accessing treatment, largely because of their chaotic lifestyle and fear of discrimination. In partnership with colleagues and the local healthcare trust, Mary helped to develop and lead a new treatment pathway, aimed at simplifying treatment and encouraging participation. The improved pathway significantly reduced both the number of tests patients had to complete and the number of appointments they were required to attend. The service also established regular clinics so that patients could meet with the Consultant Hepatologist in-house.
Since 2016, treatment uptake has significantly increased from 18% to over 90% and the service is now able to achieve micro-elimination; which the World Health Organisation highlight is a key step towards total elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. Micro-elimination refers to eliminating the virus in defined segments of the population to gradually achieve national elimination.
In nominating Mary, her manager Tracy Braddock said, “The resounding success of this pathway has wholly been achieved by our Health-Lead, Mary, working in partnership with the Consultant Hepatologist”.
Mary added “Our hard to reach patients previously struggled to access their treatment through the traditional pathway. It wasn’t because they didn’t want treatment – they did! Our pathway has made that achievable for them. I am absolutely delighted with the recognition of being in the final three for this prestigious award. ”
The award ceremony will take place in London on 20 March 2020.