Nursing Standard Nurse of the Year Awards 2013

Nurse consultant Matthew Hodson was awarded the overall award, Nurse of the Year 2013, during a special awards ceremony held in March.

Matthew works at Homerton University Hospital in Hackney, East London, where he has set up a life-changing clinic for patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“The symptoms can be at least as severe as having lung cancer, while patients’ quality of life and emotional wellbeing is worse,” said Matthew.

Recognising there was little support for patients; Matthew launched the Breathing Space clinic in 2011.
“I try to help them understand that while it is a long-term condition and there is no cure, we can help them to manage their symptoms so they feel better,” he added.

Matthews’s innovation in respiratory category and was one of a group of outstanding nursing staff honoured at the awards ceremony.

RCN member Gemma Borland, a third year nursing student at Birmingham City University, was awarded the RCN Fellows Andrew Parker Student Nurse Award, while chemotherapy nurse and RCN member Ellie Hodge was chosen by the public to win this year’s Claire Rayner Patient’s Choice Award.

For further details on the award winners and the valuable initiatives they have developed, please refer to the Nursing Standard Nurse Awards website.

Speaking of the 2012 Awards and the valuable role they play in raising the profile of nurses right across the UK, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, said:
“A great and inspiring evening. The achievements and innovations showcased tonight are real solutions to some of the major challenges facing all aspects of healthcare provision.”

To keep up to date with all of the latest nursing specific news from the RCN, please refer to our media pages.