Colleagues at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) are being celebrated to mark Nurses’ Day.

The Trust that runs Shropshire’s two acute hospitals is saying a big thank you to its 2,100 nurses and will be rewarding their dedication by hosting its first Joint Nursing/Allied Health Professionals (AHP)/Midwifery Conference.

Key speakers, treats including beauty treatments and entertainment from the Rock Choir will be on offer at the conference, which will be held at Shropshire Education and Conference Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, on Friday.

Hayley Flavell, Director of Nursing at SaTH, said: “Nurses’ Day is an ideal opportunity to say a special thank you and to celebrate our wonderful colleagues.

“This year’s theme is ‘the difference you make every day’ and that is exactly what colleagues from across the county’s health and social care system do every single day.

“As a nurse, I know how challenging, yet rewarding, this profession can be, and I could not be prouder of the dedication and compassion of my colleagues.”

Nurse Nick Jones talks about his role as a Haematology Unit Manager at the O’Connor Haematology Day Unit at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Macmillan Unit at The Princess Royal Hospital, and what he finds rewarding.

Nick started at SaTH in 2011 as a Healthcare Assistant. He was then seconded to Staffordshire University’s Adult Nursing programme.

He qualified as a Staff Nurse in October 2018 and then progressed to a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) within the Cancer Centre.

Nick said: “I have always cared and always found that I have wanted to help. I have a family history of cancer and in a way by being a cancer specialist nurse I have a better understanding of the disease. I enjoy trying to make a difference.

“I care deeply about my team. I am so passionate about cancer care and the care we provide to our patients. We cover such a huge area as a Trust and our patients thank us every day for what we do, and that most importantly is what matters.”

Nick said that his role is to ensure the day-to-day running of both Day Care Units and to ensure that a high quality of care is provided to patients for Haematology cancers and Haematology disorders.

He added: “My role does require me to be hands-on and clinical too. I am the lead nurse for intrathecal chemotherapy. It’s my role to stay relevant as the haematology field of medicine is at an exciting time - it is always expanding and introducing new lines of therapies for our patients.”