Meet the Team

Alexandra Eden - Forum Co-Chair

Rheumatology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Alex’s rheumatology journey started in 2009 at the East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, where she is now the lead nurse. She completed the rheumatology course at Keele University in 2010, and recently achieved a Contemporary Nursing degree (BSc) and non-medical prescribing qualification in 2020.

Alex has a specialist interest in biologic and targeted synthetic therapies, having managed this service over the past 8 years. Prior to being appointed to the rheumatology forum committee she was co-opted to assist in updating the RCN biologics guidance. Alex has an interest in the education of the current & upcoming rheumatology workforce and is co-opted on the BSR education committee. She has provided education and updates locally and nationally.

Alex hopes to use her experience and knowledge to help with the growth and transformation of rheumatology services to ensure they support our nursing staff and are suitable to the needs of our patient cohort.

In the past she has received the NRAS Healthcare Champion Award (2016) & NRAS Rheumatology Team Champion Award (2023).

In her spare time away from rheumatology, Alex is kept busy by her two young children, enjoys playing competitive netball and running.

Robert Clark - Forum Co-Chair

Lead Nurse for Rheumatology and Scleroderma, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Robert Clark (RN) completed his initial nurse training in 2003 and has worked in various roles within rheumatology in hospitals and homecare settings across London and the UK for approximately 15 years.

He is passionate about service transformation and was involved in early group education for Biologic therapies and introduction of a Pharmacist and CNS led Virtual Biologics Service.

He was the BJN Rheumatology Nurse of the Year: Silver Award in 2022.He commenced peer education, professional speaking and recently co-opting with the RCN rheumatology nurse forum and the BSR. Robert will be working extensively to bring national awareness of clinical advice lines due to lack of policy and direction to help bring national minimal standards, ensuring that there is funded advice lines with the support of technology and resources.

He is currently working with the Rheumatology team at Whittington Health where he continues his passion and enthusiasm for service transformation, supporting the transition of electronic prescribing in rheumatology, standardising services for blood tests, designed and implemented the Rheumatology Trigger system for homecare biologic therapies, biologic infusions, IV and sub cut bisphosphonates. Redesigning the rheumatology nursing service, patient information and education so that the service is fit for purpose and easy for patients to use.

He is also working towards his MSc in advanced clinical practice, having already achieved non-medical prescribing and consultation and assessment; he seeks to continue to develop national policies to improve standards for rheumatology nurses and services as well as rheumatology nurse education.

Alan Davidson

Clinical Nurse Specialist and Independent Prescriber, Community Rheumatology, Modality LLP, Birmingham, West Midlands

Alan qualified in 1992 after training in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS) and serving for 10 years in total in surgical, orthopaedic and medical wards as well as ICU and A&E.

On leaving the military Alan took up various roles before settling in to rheumatology in October 1998 and shortly after undertook his rheumatology qualifications in 2000 at the National Orthopaedic Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital in Oswestry as a resident student for several months.

Working on a rheumatology 22 bedded ward lead to a consolidation of his training and he then went on to become a Liaison Nurse in rheumatology at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth where he eventually led on setting the biologics service after being involved in the early trials of the first biologics especially Enbrel. Once the ward eventually closed Alan then went on to help establish a busy Day Unit as the clinical manager of the unit and department which went on to win multiple awards and recognition before he left in 2010 after relocation to the West Midlands where he still currently practices.

His main roles include running rheumatology education and monitoring clinics whilst striving to empower patients with their disease management. As a non-medical prescriber this ensures patients get on to treatment quickly. Alan also helps with keeping guidelines up to date and works with the British Society of Rheumatology on their Standards, Audit and Guidelines Working Group (SAGWG) since October 2021.

Lucy Craig

Professional Nurse Advocate

Lucy qualified as a children’s nurse in 1994 and worked across various acute medical wards at the Great North Children’s Hospital (GNCH) in Newcastle upon Tyne before moving into Children’s Rheumatology as a Nurse Specialist in 2012, she enjoyed the work so much she ended up staying there. Alongside the ‘normal’ role as a children’s Rheumatology nurse specialist, she is the transition co-ordinator within her team and works across the region with Adult Rheumatology colleagues to smooth the transfer process of patients when moving from children’s to adult services.

Lucy has initiated many different quality improvement projects both within Children’s Rheumatology but also for the GNCH. She champions transitional care for teenagers and enjoys teaching and is always looking at service improvement ideas. She also won a Practice Improvement award for pioneering the GNCH Learning Disability Passport for the Hospital to support CYP and families.

She is passionate about supporting her nursing colleagues and recently qualified as a Professional Nurse Advocate, she also works alongside the Speak up Guardian as a champion at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals.

Helen Lee

Helen qualified as a children’s nurse in Sheffield in 1999 and started work as a Staff Nurse on the Neonatal Surgical Unit at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. She moved onto the daycare unit in 2005 and particularly enjoyed looking after the handful of rheumatology patients who attended each week for treatment. She was fortunate to be one of two nurses who were asked to set up rheumatology nursing service and became a full time rheumatology nurse in 2010 just prior to Sheffield launching its paediatric rheumatology service. Helen is now the lead nurse for this service, runs her own review clinics each week and manages the nursing team comprising of 5 nurses, a support worker and an administrator.

Helen is passionate about helping children and young people with procedural anxiety and does a joint monthly clinic with the team psychologist as well as helping run procedural anxiety workshops for parents with young children who are under the rheumatology team.  

Helen enjoys raising awareness of JIA and other rheumatological conditions and provides ward updates as well as student teaching on rheumatology. She has also run the London Marathon twice in 2014 for Arthritis Research and then in 2019 for Versus Arthritis.