I nominated Sharon Manning to attend the ‘NHS Champion’ event at No. 10 on 5 July 2023, the 75th Anniversary of the NHS.
Sharon’s service to the NHS has spanned a number of decades. She began working as a cleaner in Glan Clwyd Hospital in 1989. Over the years she worked her way up from an Auxiliary nurse, becoming a Staff Nurse at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre (NWCTC). In 2011, Sharon began working for Macmillan as a Cancer Nurse Specialist in gynaecological oncology. When Sharon was caring for patients, using her vast experience as a nurse, she began to devise better ways to care for patients effectively.
In 2017, Sharon was recognised for her role in improving care for cancer patients with an Innovation Award and Macmillan Fellowship for pioneering the use of the Rocket Drain Service. Her patients and then those more widely were able to avoid spending hours in outpatients every week and could enjoy more quality time with their loved ones. The burden on family members in having to help them attend weekly appointments was also reduced.
What Sharon has achieved over the years for cancer patients in North Wales is quite remarkable. I was honoured to accompany Sharon to the Local NHS Champions reception and was pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate what she, and other Local NHS Champions, have achieved for patients and their families throughout the country.