A SPECIALIST nurse at Barrow's Furness General Hospital has been presented with a prestigious award for her work within the Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Wendi Harrison, an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinical Nurse Specialist at UHMBT was given the Richard Driscoll Award for IBD Nurse Excellence 2017 at a special ceremony on November 17.

Ms Harrison worked alongside Consultant Gastrointestinal Radiologist, Dr Nigel Grunshaw, at Furness General's Rapid Access Imaging clinic offering unique ultrasound services for patients with IBD.

"It was an honour to receive this award for the outstanding change I have made to patients journeys that use the Gastroenterology services at UHMBT.

"I have a good team around me, including Dietitians and Radiology staff who understand the nature of the disease and how it affects patient’s lives and I thank them for supporting me in setting up this service," said Ms Harrison, IBD Clinical Nurse Specialist.

A one-stop clinic, rapid access imaging clinic and a telephone advice line now enable patients to get the support they need when they need it, reducing waiting time and improving outcomes for all.

Sue Smith, Executive Chief Nurse at UHMBT said; “This is a great achievement and a reflection of the efforts that Wendi and the teams have made in the creation of the Rapid Access Imaging Clinic.

"A real commitment to improve quality, safety and experience for our patients has resulted in some amazing work and it’s great that this has been recognised.”