A big thank you and goodbye to Lynda Wagstaff, Senior Research Sister, who left the Trust yesterday after 15 years with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Cancer Research Team.

Lynda, who joined the Trust in 2003, was one of the first dedicated cancer research nurses, and over her career has played an integral part in recruiting patients to trial new treatments and has helped manage the data that comes with exciting and innovative studies.

Lynda said: “My role involves working with different people – being the point of contact for patients if they have questions, liaising with staff across departments who are integral for testing such as imaging and blood sciences and feeding back to external drug companies whose medicines we are testing. You really feel as though it’s a team effort to get these learning outcomes.

“What’s nice about research and development is that your patients are really enthusiastic about using their condition to help others like them in the future. They feel like they’re giving something back to the Trust by taking part in a trial.”

When asked what her proudest Walsall moment was, she confidently pointed to a ‘Team of the Year’ award, which the team bagged in 2017 at the Clinical Research Network’s Cancer General Meeting for their fantastic efforts to recruit patients and their support colleagues in their own studies.

“I’m always delighted when a patient agrees to take part in a trial. Even if the trials are unsuccessful, they are useful when it comes to developing further studies as they can be based around what didn’t work previously.”

Lynda now goes on to work as Cancer Research Locality Manager for the Clinical Research Network West Midlands, basing herself at a Birmingham branch but supporting all cancer research teams across the region.

“I just want say thank you to my colleagues for all their support over the years – I’ve met some wonderful people.

Nuala Lenehan, Research Sister, said: “Our loss is the Clinical Research Network’s gain. Lynda has been at the forefront of Walsall Healthcare’s cancer research and she will most definitely be missed by all of the nursing and medical staff.

“We wish her the best of luck in her new role.”