RCN Wales Nurse of the Year 2025: Annie Clothier recognised for outstanding contribution to vascular care

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has named Annie Clothier, Vascular Clinical Nurse Specialist at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB), as the RCN Wales Nurse of the Year 2025. 

Annie is celebrated for her expertise, compassion, and leadership in vascular nursing. Known for her patient-centred approach, she has transformed vascular services across her health board -most notably during the transition of acute services to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board while always keeping patients at the heart of her work. 

Vascular patients often face complex, long-term health challenges. Annie meets every one of them with empathy, equity, and highly skilled, individualised care. She has secured Welsh government funding to lead the first nurse-led research project into wound care in ABUHB, breaking new ground for the profession. 

Beyond her health board, Annie serves as Chair of the Legs Matter national group and contributes to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease, where her expertise helps shape vascular care across the UK. 

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales said: “Annie is more than an exceptional nurse. She is a national leader, mentor and tireless advocate for her patients. Her commitment to excellence, innovation and compassionate care represents the very best of our profession.  

“Annie’s passion for advancing vascular nursing includes combining her clinical expertise with humanity to improve outcomes for patients.   She truly embodies the heart, skill and spirit of nursing.”  

Annie said: “People don’t always realise the scale of what we do. We’re a small community in vascular care across the UK but we work incredibly hard to make sure our patients are truly seen and properly supported. Recognition matters for the resources and understanding our patients desperately need.
"I’ll be in parliament in a couple of weeks again raising awareness with MPs. I’m proud of the work we’re doing, and even prouder to speak up for the people who rely on us every day."

Winner: Dr Carolyn Middleton MBE, Programme Lead Registered Nursing Associate, Public Health Wales 

Throughout her 47-year career, Carolyn has demonstrated a passion for driving the development of the nursing profession for the benefit of patients.

She has held national roles, developing and nurturing future leaders, providing strategic leadership, advocacy, mentorship, and ultimately a legacy that will impact on others well into the future.

Carolyn has been a nurse, a leader, a published scholar, and a profound influence on the nursing profession in Wales – always committed to elevating nursing, improving care, and supporting others to do the same. 

Currently leading a high-profile national project to shape the future of the Band 4 Nursing workforce across NHS Wales, she previously led the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) pilot for revalidation in Wales - a landmark initiative safeguarding professional standards.

She also co-led the introduction of the Registered Nursing Associate role in Wales, on behalf of the Chief Nursing Officer - a vital piece of workforce reform, which she continues to steer with characteristic clarity, integrity and professionalism.

Described as kind, calm, and unflappable, her deep compassion for people shines through in everything she does. 

Carolyn’s leadership has earned widespread recognition, including multiple awards and an MBE in 2021 for her outstanding contributions to nursing.

Winner: Donna Blinston, Hepatology Advanced Nurse Practitioner , Hywel Dda University Health Board

Donna’s important work has shown the impact of health promotion, early detection, and empowering wellbeing in liver patients.

Focusing on delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place, she has transformed pathways for some of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach patients.  

Donna introduced nurse-led one-stop clinics for liver patients - reducing waiting times, preventing unnecessary hospital visits, and promoting multidisciplinary working while addressing co-occurring conditions and tackling entrenched health inequalities. 

She has also started a weekly outreach clinic in homeless charities for people experiencing deprivation and often chaotic lives. 

Donna’s liver health awareness events enable earlier identification of liver disease, and her monthly rolling audits enable targeted liver health awareness for patients attending hospital. 
In addition, Donna delivers regular training to medics and student nurses, and she is part of the junior doctor training programme and buddy mentor for Swansea University.

In 2024, Donna and the gastroenterology teams demonstrated that over a six-month period, vitamin E can reduce the oxidative stress caused by fat in the liver of patients with metabolic fatty liver disease. Building on this work, Donna will begin a PhD with Aberystwyth University and Innovation Wales, aiming to challenge current practice and potentially reduce the burden on the NHS.

Winner: Paula Heycock, Head of Nursing, Primary, Community and Therapies, Swansea Bay University Health Board

Paula has demonstrated a leadership style that fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose by implementing an integrated six-step approach to workforce planning—creating sustainable, responsive, high-quality community nursing, modelled on national best practice.

Working with clinical and operational colleagues, Paula led the six-step workforce planning process, aligning staff capacities and skills with the changing needs of patients—ensuring that every team member is deployed where they can have the most direct impact on patient care and early interventions.

She has empowered her staff to extend their roles into areas such as telehealth triage, early intervention home visits, and community-based assessments.
Under her guidance, team members are encouraged to enhance their skills and practise at the top of their professional licences.

Paula believes that supporting staff to grow and diversify their capabilities not only benefits morale and retention, but also improves the experience for patients and reduces unnecessary hospital admissions.

Her compassionate leadership style is informed by insights she gained from completing Health Education and Improvement Wales’s Advanced Clinical Leadership Programme: she mentors new nurse managers, organises reflective wellbeing workshops, and models a leadership approach based on respect, empathy, and shared decision-making.

Winner: Lynda Jones and Shona Lewis, Health Care Support Workers, Hywel Dda University Health Board 

Lynda (right in photo) and Shona (left in photo) showed initiative by introducing a moisture prevention trolley—an innovation that has improved patient care and reduced incidents of moisture lesions in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Glangwili Hospital.

Observing that there were increasing cases of moisture damage in ICU patients, they noted that barrier creams were not easily accessible—locked away in a single drawer—and that it was not always clear which creams were most appropriate for each case.

They introduced a moisture trolley and education board, using a traffic light system to identify different levels of severity in moisture lesions—from prevention to mild, moderate, and severe—and explained the most appropriate products and how they should be used.

The project ensured that patients received the right products at the right time, providing a high standard of patient care, while also educating the rest of the multi-disciplinary team.

Within the first four months, incidents fell from 20 to six in the unit, and the new system has received excellent feedback from staff and patients. It has now been implemented throughout the Health Board, with the potential to be rolled out across Wales.

Winner: Cindy Courtney, Head of Nursing, Regional and Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Cindy demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities in the work she led to redesign services to improve the experience and outcomes of children and young people who access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at a time of mental health crisis.

She used the voice of children and young people at every stage to design a safer and more effective alternative to admission, which better met their needs.

Her vision for Alternative to Admission (A2A) was to address the challenges children and young people, and parents/carers, experience when they need urgent support during mental health crises—for instance, by avoiding environments like emergency departments, which can further increase levels of distress.

Following a successful proposal to Welsh Government, Cindy was awarded the funds to develop and deliver the proposed community-based crisis hub, so children and young people could access crisis interventions in a more timely, safe, and comfortable space.

Conditions of funding meant it had to be operational within the financial year. Cindy went above and beyond to drive the project forward while ensuring that quality and standards were retained.

The A2A hub went live in late December 2024, and data analysis and feedback have shown the new care pathways are achieving their goals.

Winner: Kevin Jones, Registered Manager, Bryn Marl Nursing Home and Head of Governance and Compliance for Vshan Care Ltd

Kevin is an exceptional nurse leader who shows warmth, clinical expertise, and a deep-rooted commitment to residents’ dignity and wellbeing.

He ensures residents at Bryn Marl Nursing Home aren’t treated as ‘cases’ or ‘service users’ but are recognised by name, story, and what matters most to them—whether that means making sure a birthday is celebrated just as it was decades ago or expertly managing complex health needs.

Families often say they feel peace of mind the moment they walk through the door.

Drawing on national best practice, Kevin has implemented systems that raise standards while keeping kindness and meaningful relationships at the centre.

He introduced electronic patient records years before they became the norm, ensuring everyone involved in a resident’s care is aligned, informed, and guided by each person’s goals and preferences.

Kevin leads vibrant intergenerational projects with local schools, hosts open days, and champions resident forums. His ‘You Said, We Did’ model ensures people feel heard, respected, and empowered.

His impact at Bryn Marl led to a well-earned appointment overseeing governance and compliance across a second nursing home.

Beyond the home, Kevin is a passionate advocate for the independent sector and overseas nurses.

Winner: Claire Loveridge, Practice Educator, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Claire led an important initiative to establish a structured and standardised approach to training and assessment in Children’s Community Nursing across Wales.

It has resulted in improvements in patient outcomes, staff morale, clinical competence and confidence, and clinical governance.

Previously, training was ad hoc, outdated, and inconsistent across health boards, leading to delays in care, varying standards, and communication breakdowns between professionals and families.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, which provides specialist tertiary services for many children and young people across South Wales, needed assurance that parents, carers, and both health and non-health professionals received consistent training and assessment in specific clinical skills.

Claire responded with a visionary improvement plan, which led to a pilot training programme being launched, followed by the creation of a cascade training model.

She coordinated an All-Wales training and assessment day, developed competency pathways for clinical skills, and created a national network of trained cascaders. These cascaders now serve as the first point of contact for training needs in each health board and receive annual updates and assessments to maintain high standards.

Claire has far exceeded the expectations of her role, and her work has created a replicable model for all clinical skills and for other regions.

Winner: Alwen Sayer, Student Nurse (Adult), Wrexham University

Alwen consistently goes above and beyond expectations to ensure patients receive appropriate, safe, and dignified care, and that her student nursing colleagues are supported.

A student on the part-time Bachelor of Nursing course for Health Care Assistants, she is recognised for her integrity, professionalism, and deep passion for nursing.

Patients and families remark on her ability to listen attentively, provide reassurance, and advocate for their needs, incorporating her excellent Welsh language skills when appropriate. Her critical thinking, knowledge, expertise, and respectful clinical advice and influence have also earned praise from doctors as well as nurses.

As a team player and natural role model, her peers value her guidance and support. Academically, Alwen has maintained a high standard of achievement, balancing the demands of clinical placements, academia, and her substantive post commitments.

During a recent placement in the Coronary Care Unit, she showed exceptional initiative with her understanding and evidence-based knowledge to prevent a significant patient injury.

She has been a natural role model to fellow student nurses, always willing to offer guidance, share knowledge, and support colleagues under pressure. Furthermore, she actively participates in initiatives to improve nursing practices, such as contributing to student leadership sessions.

Winner: Emma Phillips, Quality Improvement and Service Transformation Practitioner, Hywel Dda University Health Board 

Emma has shown exceptional commitment to improving the safety and experience of patients through collaboration and leadership.

In her four years in a Quality Improvement Practitioner role, she has shown consistent dedication to preventing hospital-acquired thrombosis, and her team in Bronglais Hospital recently won a national award for lowering the risk of thrombosis in patients in their care.

She is constantly reviewing the evidence base and making improvements to practice to assess and identify Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), and Hywel Dda University Health Board has become the first Health Board to develop and implement robust audits to monitor the VTE agenda, using a fully digital system.

Emma has developed bilingual and accessible leaflets and intranet pages to promote and share knowledge around VTE, and she has taken part in a Welsh Risk Pool review across Wales - showcasing the work in her Health Board and visiting others to learn, collaborate, and share.

She has also shared her expertise in quality improvement by supporting a local community hospital in improving continence management—a project which has been shortlisted for a National Health Service Wales Sustainability Award.

Emma is always responsive and accessible to teams, constantly striving to make positive impacts on patients' outcomes and supporting staff to make a difference.

Winner: Dr Sheila Shepley, Nurse Consultant in Epilepsy, working across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Sheila has devoted most of her 25-year career to epilepsy services in North Wales, showing passion and devotion to delivering high standards of nursing care, notably for young people transitioning to adult services and for pregnant mothers with epilepsy.

Working with neurologists, she has established special clinics for teenagers moving from paediatrics, developed the role of the Epilepsy Specialist Nurse, introduced a first-fit flow chart for use in emergency departments, and held a joint epilepsy and pregnancy clinic in Glan Clwyd Hospital for pregnant women to have a consistent approach to their epilepsy care throughout pregnancy and postnatally.

Her passion for raising awareness is shown through her published work, including two books, publications, a podcast, and conference presentations.

Always family-focused, her PhD research was based on interviewing parents and children in their transition process to adult services.

Sheila has developed the role of the Epilepsy Specialist Nurse significantly over the years, building a strong rapport with patients across North Wales and striving to provide accessible services for epilepsy patients to live a healthy life.

She has shown this through her educator/mentoring role, developing services following national pathways, and working closely with other professionals, as well as patients and families.

Winner: Zoe Dolman, Senior Specialist Behavioural Nurse, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Zoe leads with integrity and innovation in her role supporting people with complex behavioural needs.

Focusing on individuals, not problems, she is transforming services, empowering teams, and enriching lives.

Zoe has bridged community and inpatient services, strengthened collaboration across teams, improved continuity of care, and enhanced outcomes for patients. Her ability to build trust and foster professional relationships is a testament to her leadership and kindness.

Her current work involves pioneering the integration of the Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) model across services—a transformative approach that enhances the quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities.

In one recent case, Zoe’s intervention prevented a young man with a history of trauma and complex behavioural challenges from being moved to a more secure care model, thus changing the trajectory of this young man’s life. Through the principles of PBS, Zoe led the team in identifying barriers to effective support, addressing staff fears, and fostering a culture of empathy and confidence. Her intuitive kindness, combined with clinical expertise, enabled the team to re-engage the individual in meaningful community-based activities.

Zoe promotes positive risk-taking, supports staff development, and ensures that all interventions are grounded in evidence, safety, and respect.

Winner: Tanya Thomas, Team Leader for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Sanctuary Hwb, Powys Teaching Health Board

Tanya’s work in helping to set up and lead the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Crisis Hwb in Powys has seen significant improvements in the care of young people experiencing mental health crises.

She has shown excellent leadership skills, creating a shared vision to support young people to feel heard and to access appropriate services in a timely manner.

Tanya has been instrumental from the start, recruiting staff and working alongside estates to ensure the new Hwb would provide a setting that was as inviting as possible to offer assessments, support, and treatment to young people up to the age of 18.

The data so far speaks for itself, with a 25% reduction in hospital attendances for mental health concerns among Powys young people, and excellent feedback from young people and their families.

Tanya leads by example and is always on hand to offer support and advice. She continues to work with young people and never shies away from getting involved to support those who need help most.

Tanya always has the patients’ best interests at heart and will go above and beyond to ensure that not only their mental health needs are met, but that all aspects of their lives are being supported.

Winner: Victoria Hayman-Teear, Senior Nurse, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Vicki has led a digital transformation that has redefined wound care in the Health Board, delivering safer, more efficient, and more person-centred care.

As the clinical lead for the Healthy.io Minuteful for Wound digital app’s rollout across Cardiff and the Vale, Vicki led the adoption of AI-powered wound imaging technology — replacing paper-based assessments with consistent, accurate, real-time data.

This has enabled earlier identification of deteriorating wounds, improved care planning, and significantly reduced duplication across services. Linking community nursing and primary care through shared wound data makes it a UK first.

It has directly saved almost 2.5 whole-time equivalents in nursing time, improved wound healing rates, reduced avoidable hospital admissions, and transformed how services are delivered — fully aligned with Welsh Government policies.

Her work has also restored dignity to patients, empowering them with visual tracking of their own healing, and it has the potential to be adapted across nursing disciplines.

Vicki is actively engaged in dissemination, having presented this work to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the British Journal of Nursing Wound Conference, and to senior leaders including the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for Wales. Her work is also part of an ongoing ethnographic research study in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Winner: Annie Clothier, Vascular Clinical Nurse Specialist, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Annie is dedicated not only to her patients and her craft but also to ensuring that vascular nursing continues to grow and evolve as a specialty.

Her expert clinical practice has had an impact not only within the Health Board but across Wales and at UK level.

Vascular patients are among the most complex, as many live with multiple long-term conditions, addictions, and significant social care needs. Annie meets every one of them with compassion, equity, and an adaptable approach. Her care is always individualised, empathetic, and underpinned by exceptional clinical skill.

She has been instrumental in shaping vascular services across Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB), particularly during the transition of acute services to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Despite a small team, staffing challenges, a large geographical patch, and the complexities of delivering care in a regional service, Annie has improved patient outcomes while leading innovations that push the boundaries of nursing.

Recently, she secured funding from the Welsh Government to lead the first completely nurse-led intellectual property research project into wound care in ABUHB, and she is the current Chair of the Legs Matter national group. Her impact was further recognised when she was invited to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease.