Sian Dennison wins at NHS70 Parliamentary Awards

University Hospitals Plymouth's Head of Nursing (Cancer and End of Life), Sian Dennison, has won the ‘Excellence in Cancer Care Award’ at the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards.

Sian with her award The prestigious competition is the first of its kind to mark the 70th birthday of the NHS, and to recognise the massive contribution made by the individuals who work in and alongside the NHS.

Nominations for the awards were put forward by Mr Johnny Mercer MP, Mr Gary Streeter MP and Mr Luke Pollard MP, before a panel of regional judges chose the shortlist from nearly 800 nominations submitted.

Sian attended the awards ceremony today held in Parliament’s Terrace Pavilion, where she was announced the winner. The award was presented by the Chief Executive of NHS Improvement, Ian Dalton, and Andreas Haimböck-Tichy, Director of Healthcare and Life Sciences at IBM.

Upon receiving the award, Sian said: “I’m utterly flabbergasted … absolutely thrilled. I feel so very lucky. But it’s not just about me.

“To me, this award is about the team I work with. I couldn’t have achieved all that has been delivered without their passion, dedication and their support to improve patient care and make a difference.”

Sian has been a nurse for over 30 years and has been described by her colleagues as “the voice for cancer services and cancer patients in the region.”

Ann James, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: “Sian has been one of my role models for many years. She’s such a lovely, able and committed individual, and we are incredibly proud of her.

“We’d like to thank all three MPs for their brilliant support in nominating Sian, and for helping her and her team to be recognised for their fantastic work.”

Johnny Mercer, who attended the awards with Sian and is pictured below, tweeted that it was “wonderful news” and that he was #plymouthproud.

Gary Streeter (also pictured below with Sian) said: “We are thrilled at this recognition of Sian and her team. Derriford has a high reputation for cancer care and Sian is very much a part of that success. Well done to Sian and all at Derriford.”

Luke Pollard added: “All our NHS staff in Plymouth do an incredible job under very difficult circumstances. Sian fully deserves this award. She is devoted to improving cancer care at every stage - from early diagnosis to end of life. She embodies a positive, caring and progressive culture with her team. This is superb news for Derriford Hospital and for our city. Well done Sian, we are so proud of you!”

Further information on the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards is available at www.nhs70awards.co.uk