New Year Honour for Exeter nurse

A leading nurse at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised in the New Year Honours List with a British Empire Medal.

Fiona Fry has worked at the RD&E since 1993, and been in her current Hepatology Nurse Specialist role since 2001. In the last 14 years she has developed liver nursing services in Exeter and Mid and East Devon which have gone from strength to strength.

The service has benefited from the care of a lead nurse who is shaping national thinking and as a result the service is ensuring high quality patient focused care.

Fiona said: “The British Empire Medal is something I never expected to receive and I am truly delighted, although also extremely shocked.

“I am very grateful to those who nominated me. Within my role the priority has always been to ensure that people with liver disease, whatever the cause, have equal access to healthcare and I’ll continue to champion this both locally and nationally.

“I feel this award is not only for me but for all the hepatology team and supporting agencies which have made our service such a success.”

Highlighted in Fiona’s citation are ensuring access to care for local patients in ‘easy to forget’ sections of society, including prisoners and the homeless suffering Hepatitis C and other liver diseases; reducing the number of missed hospital hepatology out-patient appointments by setting up outreach clinics and also in her position nationally as chair of the British Association for the Study of the Liver nurse forum, journal editor, facilitator of a local patient support group and passing on her knowledge to others with courses and placements for medical and nursing students.

She was nominated by her colleagues. Her manager, Matron Sally Walker, said: “Fiona is thoroughly deserving of this recognition nationally for the hard work and success she’s had in and around Exeter.”

RDE Chief Executive Angela Pedder said: “Fiona has my warmest congratulations, and she should feel proud to receive her British Empire Medal because of the service she has provided to many of our patients who might otherwise not access the care they deserve. She is a credit to the Trust.”