A Cancer Services Coordinator and a day hospice team have won awards for their hard work and dedication.
Molly Ballard, Cancer Services Lung, Upper GI and Cancer of Unknown Primary Pathway Tracker at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, won the ‘Walsall Individual of the Year’ award and Fairoaks Day Hospice won ‘Walsall Team of the Year’, at last week’s Cancer Celebration Event.
The event, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and hosted by the Black Country Integrated Care Board, recognised outstanding contributions to cancer care services.
A “cancer pathway tracker” is involved with coordinating a patient’s journey through cancer care, from initial referral to treatment, ensuring timely and efficient care
Molly said she was shocked when she was announced as the winner.
She said: “I have worked for the cancer services department for three years’ now and I can truly say I love my job, and I am passionate about what I do.
“It is a privilege to be a part of each cancer patient’s journey, helping to ensure they receive the best care during what can be a distressing time.
“I really appreciated being nominated so to win was a great honour.”
Nicky Adams, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse, said Molly is a dedicated professional and always goes above and beyond.
She added: “She puts 100 per cent into all her work and this has been appreciated by her colleagues.
“She has a willingness to learn, develop and support cancer services possible. “She is one of the most dedicated, confident and reliable individuals we have the pleasure to work alongside each day.
Fair Oaks Day Hospice is based at Walsall Palliative Care Centre. It offers a nurse-led service called the Living Well Programme that provides social and medical support for people with palliative care needs. Patients are welcomed once a week between 10am-3pm for a period of 12 weeks or so.
Sara Morley, Services Manager Palliative and End of Life Care/Clinical Lead Specialist Palliative Care Therapies Team, said: “We are so very proud of the work that has been achieved in Fair Oaks Day Hospice over the last 18 months.
“The team has worked tirelessly to embed a new model of working that promotes health and wellbeing, ensures management of disease progression, prevents crisis, and supports patients emotionally as they come to terms with living with a Palliative condition. The team has shown resilience, commitment, and passion as they have reshaped day hospice provision.”