An award winning nurse who has improved care for cancer patients in North Wales and beyond was recognised at a special reception for Local NHS Champions at 10 Downing Street this week.
No. 10 held the event in celebration of the NHS 75th anniversary, on Wednesday (5 July). The reception was attended by champions from across the country who had been nominated by their respective MPs.
Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies nominated Sharon Manning to attend the ‘NHS Champion’ event, thanks to her outstanding and award-winning efforts to improve the life and care of cancer patients in North Wales and across the UK.
Sharon’s service has spanned a number of decades. She began working as a cleaner in Glan Clwyd Hospital in 1989 but quickly learnt that her true passion was caring for patients in the hospital.
Over the years she worked her way up from an Auxiliary nurse, becoming a Staff Nurse at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre (NWCTC) after attaining a 2:1 nursing degree.
In order to expand her knowledge of caring for cancer patients, Sharon completed a ten-month secondment as a Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse, before returning to NWCTC as a Staff Nurse.
In 2011, Sharon began working for Macmillan as a Cancer Nurse Specialist in gynaecological oncology. When Sharon was caring for patients, using her vast experience as a nurse, she began to devise better ways to care for patients effectively.
Sharon determined that there must be a way to allow patients who required repeated abdominal draining of fluid (ascites) to undergo the procedure at home. Of her own accord, she researched the availability of drains and decided that by utilising the Rocket Drain, patients could manage the draining themselves at home and therefore experience a better quality of life during their treatment. Her patients could then avoid spending hours in outpatients every week and could enjoy more quality time with their loved ones. The burden on family members in having to help them attend weekly appointments was also reduced.
Sharon presented these findings to Professor Stuart and persuaded him to help her pursue this option. As a result, a meeting was organised with the Rocket Drain Company and the first drain was ordered.
Following the success of this innovation, it is now a widely used form of care for cancer patients across North Wales.
In 2017, Sharon was recognised for her role in improving care for cancer patients with an Innovation Award and Macmillan Fellowship for pioneering the use of the Rocket Drain Service.
Given all that Sharon has achieved for cancer patients in North Wales, James felt she was the ideal guest to invite to the Local NHS Champions reception.
He said:
"What Sharon has achieved over the years for cancer patients in North Wales is quite remarkable. Sharon’s patients, and many others in the years following, are now able to spend more of the precious time they have left in their preferred place, with their loved ones and carers.
“Sharon has continued to dedicate her life to improving the care of cancer patients and sharing her knowledge. She has spent time embedding the Rocket Drain Service across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Furthermore, she began educating nurses at Bangor University which, ultimately, led to her being recognised in 2021 with the title of Honorary Lecturer at Bangor University.
“Macmillan’s Professional Conference has also invited Sharon as an expert to speak. She has spoken in her capacity as Macmillan Gynaecology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Macmillan Innovation Award Winner.
“Sharon’s initial intervention and perseverance has led to Rocket Drains now being used in the palliative stages of care across several other cancer sites. This has revolutionised the care of malignant ascites for patients with palliative disease and significantly improved their quality of life.
“I was honoured to accompany Sharon to the Local NHS Champions reception at 10 Downing Street and was pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate what she, and other Local NHS Champions, have achieved for patients and their families throughout the country.
“We are extremely fortunate to have so many great people working in our NHS and I thank every single one of them for all that they have done, and continue to do, often under challenging circumstances.”
Sharon said:
"I had an absolutely wonderful day at the reception.
"I left school at 15 with no qualifications and when I started working as a cleaner, I knew that I wanted to better myself. I was 47 when I qualified. I never imagined then that one day I would be attending 10 Downing Street for my achievements - I really had to pinch myself. It's a day I'll never forget."
