A BLACK Country nurse has been honoured for improving the quality of end of life care for cancer patients at Russells Hall Hospital.

Karen Lewis has played an instrumental part in a new scheme, developed by Macmillan Cancer Support, The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Mary Stevens Hospice, to help borough healthcare professionals deliver high quality palliative care to people affected by the disease.

Since she took on the role of Macmillan's palliative care educator for Dudley, Mrs Lewis has trained more than 70 palliative care champions and is considered to have improved the coordination and integration of services.

Mrs Lewis, of Norton, picked up the Integration Excellence award at the Macmillan Excellence Awards, held in Birmingham on November 13.

The 38-year-old's work is informed by her own negative experience of end of life care as a carer for her mother, so her acknowledgement and respect for the wishes of the patients and supporting them to die in the place of their choosing has been at the heart of her work.

She said: β€œIt is a huge honour to have my work recognised by Macmillan and I am really pleased we are making a difference in Dudley.

"I work with a fantastic team locally and could not do the things I do without the support I get from all of my colleagues. I love my job, it gives me so much satisfaction that by training staff I can really have an impact on many patients lives for the better.”

Paula Clark, chief executive at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, added: "Karen was nominated for this award because she carries out her work to the highest level and standard, and she has made a huge difference for patients in Dudley.

"She is an educator, she gives staff the confidence to have those difficult but important conversations with patients and carers, and supports her colleagues, both clinical and non clinical, to understand how to give the best possible care at the end of life.”