After we invited NHS Trusts across the UK to have their lung cancer nurses ‘adopted’ by Mesothelioma UK, we’re delighted to announce the first recruits that will strengthen our Clinical Nurse Specialist team and help us to extend our support and care for mesothelioma patients.
The main aims of the adopted nurse posts are to:
Support the development of existing nurse specialists
Enhance specialist mesothelioma knowledge base and skills
Enhance the outcomes and experience of mesothelioma patients and their families
Jenn Latham
Jenn is based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, a medium-sized hospital covering the whole of the north of Scotland. Having qualified in 1993, she’s been an Advanced Lung Cancer Nurse, specialising in early detection, respiratory medicine and pleural effusions.
Throughout her career, Jenn previously worked as a staff nurse in acute medicine, ITU, ED and was a ward-based nurse practitioner, mainly in respiratory, for six years. Jenn has focused on pleural diseases and pleural metastases including lung, breast and bowel cancers.
She is also a national representative on the British Thoracic Society Pleural Sub Advisory Group.
Lucy Heycock
Lucy will work alongside her colleague, Jenn in Inverness. She has spent the last five years as a Lung Cancer Nurse having previously worked as an Oncology Nurse in Oban where her focus was general oncology, palliative care and chemotherapy, but included lung cancer and mesothelioma. She is a committee member for the National Lung Cancer Forum as well as the Scottish Lung Cancer Nurses Forum Committee.
The geographic range of patients is from the Western Isles down to Inverness. In her new role, Lucy is looking forward to taking the opportunity to having input to, and support from the wider Mesothelioma UK team, and linking into national organisations for guidelines, best practice and networking.
Joanne Darby
Joanne is a Lung Cancer Nurse for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, covering the areas of Lancaster and Barrow. She was previously a Chemotherapy Nurse for two years and prior to that, was an Acute Medical Nurse, with both positions based at Morecambe Bay.
Joanne is looking forward to working with the Mesothelioma UK team, utilising their education and expertise, exploring clinical trials and surgical options for patients, and organising support groups for the local area.
Karen Price
Karen is a Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist, working alongside Joanne and also employed by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
She was previously an Acute Respiratory Ward Manager and Ward Sister at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. She has significant experience in dealing with patients with respiratory conditions and the high incidence of mesothelioma in nearby Barrow has led to her interest in the treatment of mesothelioma.
Karen is involved with the new CLASAG support group, to be launched in January 2019 and featured elsewhere in this edition of Meso Matters Magazine. Both Karen and Joanne will be integral to the development of CLASAG.
Helen Higham
Also joining our Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist team is Helen Higham, based at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of the Manchester University Foundation Trust.
Helen’s is a part-time role, working alongside Mairead Dixon. She is funded by Mesothelioma UK in an adopted nurse role. She will focus on treatment and care for existing and new mesothelioma patients and will also get involved with local support groups.
Helen was previously Senior Cancer Awareness Nurse with Cancer Research UK, prior to which she worked with the Acute Oncology Management Team at The Christie Hospital. She has significant experience in Specialist Palliative Care and was a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in the community for ten years.
The Mesothelioma Clinical Nurse Specialists team are looking look forward to working with the newly adopted nurses who are all sited in areas where they can hopefully make a real difference to the care of people with mesothelioma and their carers.