Ceri-Anne Maggs has been appointed as the second Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wales, based at the St Woolos Hospital in Newport, part of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
Ceri-Anne will work with doctors and lung cancer nurses in St Woolos and other Welsh hospitals, the Multi-Disciplinary Team in Cardiff and the wider Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist team to provide treatment, care and support for mesothelioma patients across Wales.
Ceri-Anne will work for the national asbestos-related cancer charity, Mesothelioma UK, with the role funded by Macmillan Cancer Support for the first two years. She joins Lyndsey Haffenden, who was appointed as a Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist for Wales, based at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, part of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
Mesothelioma is a cancer related to exposure to asbestos and predominantly affects the lining of the lungs. The UK has the highest incidence of the disease in the world with around 2,700 people diagnosed each year.
Ceri-Anne has been qualified for 10 years. Prior to joining Mesothelioma UK, she was a respiratory nurse for six years and has worked at various hospitals throughout the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. For the past four years, she has been a lung cancer clinical nurse specialist at St Woolos Hospital. She will continue to work as a lung cancer nurse alongside her new role as a new Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Commenting on her appointment, Ceri-Anne Maggs said: “I am delighted to be taking on this new and interesting opportunity to work with the Mesothelioma UK team to provide care, treatment and support for mesothelioma patients and their families across our Health Board area and more broadly, across Wales. A lot of our local patients are based in more rural areas so we’ll be working to help them access our services, as well as working with support groups to further develop these relationships.”
Leah Taylor, Head of Nursing at Mesothelioma UK added: “We’re delighted to strengthen our Clinical Nurse Specialist team in Wales with the new appointment of Ceri-Anne. We would also like to thank Macmillan for supporting the role and St Woolos Hospital for hosting Ceri-Anne.
“Ceri-Anne and Lyndsey will help us to significantly extend our care delivery for mesothelioma patients and their families throughout Wales.”
Dawn Cooper, Macmillan Professional Engagement & Improvement Lead, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Ceri-Anne into this post, partnering with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Mesothelioma UK. The role has been developed to increase the specialist support to mesothelioma patients across Wales. It will also provide an excellent development opportunity for the post holder, allowing for the right skill mix and succession planning within the local and national team.”
