Lin Wins Nurse of the Year Award

---

Nomination for award came as complete surprise

Lin Graham-Ray, a nurse who supports children in the care of the local authority has won the prestigious Nursing Standard’s 2009 Nurse of the Year Award for Child Health.  

Lin, who is Hammersmith and Fulham’s Designated Nurse Consultant for Looked-After Children, says the award nomination came as a complete surprise.

" One of my colleagues nominated me anonymously so I really had no idea," she says. " The first I heard about it was when I got an email saying that that I’d been shortlisted for the child health award. I then had to prepare a response with information about the work I’ve been doing over the past year

" I was really delighted when the organisers sent me an email saying that I won. "

Lin's job as designated nurse consultant is jointly funded by NHS Hammersmith and Fulham and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. She was one of London’s very first designated nurse consultants, so she brings a lot of knowledge, experience and expertise to the borough. She says:" There’s never a dull moment in this job. There’s always a new challenge and I’m constantly entertained by the kids – they’re very eloquent and very honest."

Since starting with the NHS in Hammersmith and Fulham in 2000, Lin and her colleagues have worked hard to make positive changes to the healthcare service for looked-after children.

She explains: " The feedback we get from young people is constantly helping to improve the service. For example, when out on visits we now wear jeans because the children told us that we’re more approachable and easier to talk to in casual clothes.

" We also now provide advice in a number of different ways – I have an agony aunt column in the borough’s magazine for looked-after children. The young people told us that’s what they want, so we worked with the magazine to make it happen. "

There are currently around 60,000 looked-after children living in the care of local authorities in the UK. Looked-after children nurses like Lin support these young people by building their trust, taking care of their health and answering all their health questions.

The Nursing Standard Nurse Awards were established in 1988 to identify outstanding achievement and promote excellence and innovation in nursing care, and around 3,000 people apply for the honours every year.

The judges said: " Lin facilitated significant changes to improving the health of looked after children within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Now, every looked after child in the borough has a healthcare plan which enables them to achieve optimum health and wellbeing."

Sarah Whiting, Managing Director of NHS Hammersmith and Fulham, says: " We’re all delighted and very proud that Lin has won this award and been recognised for all her great work. We are working hard to make sure that people in our borough get access to the very best care and that our workforce reflects the very best of the NHS. "

Lin will receive her award at a special ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel on November 9, when an overall Nurse of the Year will also be picked from the 13 category winners.

August 4, 2009