Fiona Bruce, Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, was nominated by the public for her work with children with cancer at home and in Africa. While Fiona works at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, she also devotes time to volunteering to give vital care to young cancer patients in Ghana.
Along with Edinburgh oncologist Dr Emma Johnson, and other nursing colleagues, they have helped Ghanian child cancer medics set up what has become a leading children’s unit in Africa. The Edinburgh team are part of a global link of child oncology medics who work through UK charity World Child Cancer.
Since twinning with Edinburgh’s children’s hospital Ghana now has seven hospitals giving childhood cancer treatment and care for the 1,300 children expected to develop cancer there annually. Thanks to Fiona and the rest of the Edinburgh team and their equally dedicated colleagues in Accra, they now have the gold standard child cancer treatment in West Africa and are training colleagues in other African countries.
Congratulating Fiona on her award win, Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Director said: “This award was the Scottish public’s opportunity to thank a nurse, midwife or nursing support worker who made a difference to their, or a loved one’s, care. I was touched by all of the stories the public shared. Fiona stood out for her commitment to the children in her care at home and abroad and for showing the world how caring and generous of heart Scotland’s nurses can be”.
Congratulations to runner up, Judith Watson, former Neonatal Practitioner at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in NHS Lothian (now working as Diana Children’s Nurse, South East of Scotland), and our highly commended finalist, Henrietta Marriott, Advanced Nurse Practitioner / BASICS Responder in NHS Highland. All three finalists showed just how significantly nursing staff can touch people’s lives.
Thanks to our sponsors of this award, The Sunday Post. With their support, we were able to go all out and truly celebrate all of our finalists and their contribution to the health and care of the people of Scotland.
