Janice Booth and Geoff Dodd
TWO long serving nurses are being awarded for their services.
Janice Booth and Geoff Dodd, who work at Clifton Hospital, are to receive a Health Champions award by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society which will be presented by Prime Minister, Teresa May, at the House of Commons next month.
The pair, who have been nursing since the 1970s, are one of only 10 people to receive an award this year.
Nominated by the Blackpool and District Rheumatoid Arthritis Group (BADRAG), the group co-ordinator Lyn Wilson said: “We feel that Janice and Geoff both go above and beyond what could be expected from a routine appointment, with a smile on their faces.
“They are proactive with their care and treatment and their professionalism and knowledge is at the highest level. This makes one feel at ease and confident that you are in safe hands; a crucial consideration for anyone living with a long term condition.”
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. The immune system attacks the lining of the joints which causes inflammation and leads to symptoms such as pain and stiffness. It can affect a person’s whole system, including organs such as the lungs, heart and eyes.
Geoff said: “I thought the email telling us we had won an award was a scam at first, a wind up. But once it sank in I was very humbled.
“We improve the patients’ quality of life to give them more independence. We often have shared their long treatment journey and have recently seen a great improvement in care, so it is great that our work is really appreciated by the people we treat.”
Janice added: “It was really humbling to find out about the award – I got a bit emotional.
“We are passionate about the specialty we work in. Rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t get a lot of recognition and people don’t understand how sick patients can become.
“We are privileged to be able to provide continuing care and helping patients get back to a normal life if we can.”
BADRAG is open to all and the group hold bi-monthly evening meetings at Clifton Hospital. For more information, visit www.badrag.org.uk.