Neil Fletcher, a Roald Dahl Clinical Nurse Specialist for teenagers and young adults at Barts Health NHS Trust has won a Cavell Star Award for going above and beyond for his patients.
Colleague and Director of Children’s Nursing Kath Evans explains why Neil is a deserving winner.
“Since taking on this role in December 2017, Neil has demonstrated unwavering commitment, innovation, and leadership in improving care for young people and his work is now yielding significant results. One of Neil’s most notable achievements is the development of a communication simulation workshop that equips staff to address sensitive topics such as sexual health, mental health, and substance misuse. This initiative, born from Neil’s vision and strengthened through partnerships with the Education Academy and clinical fellows, has garnered interest from the North Thames Paediatric Network and beyond.
“As an Inclusion Ambassador, Neil brings valuable insight and compassion to his leadership, fostering a culture of equity and engagement. His support for youth voice initiatives, particularly through the Youth Empowerment Squad, has empowered both young people and colleagues, enhancing the patient experience and strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration.
“I hold Neil in the highest regard, he is a wonderful champion of young people and through his own experiences champions young carers at every opportunity. He is an amazing supporter of colleagues too, he is a worthy recipient of a Cavell Star.”
Neil reacted to winning award.
“I was extremely honoured and humbled to receive such a prestigious award. I also felt incredibly proud that the work that I am doing has been acknowledged and recognised by so many colleagues and reinforces my ambition to continue to promote the importance of young people’s health far and wide.
“I am very proud and privileged to be a Roald Dahl Clinical Nurse Specialist for teenagers and young adults for Barts Health. There are not many Nurses with this same title, and I know how lucky I am to be in such a unique role. The role enables me to shape, guide and influence care for young people, living with health conditions as they move through their individual healthcare transition pathways. A big part of the role is raising awareness, teaching and guiding colleagues around what is important for young people/families and carers during healthcare transition pathways and promoting the importance of developmentally appropriate healthcare. I am a huge advocate of listening to the voice of young people and turning words into action.”
