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Paraplegic patient says his nurse of more than 20 years is his "hero"

A paraplegic patient has called his nurse of more than 20 years his “hero”. Mr Brian Sirrell, of Welshpool, Powys, (pictured) suffers with the neurological disorder CIPD (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy), a condition which targets the body's nerves. Scott Dobing, an advanced nurse practitioner in Neurology, (pictured) has cared for Mr Sirrell ever since his initial diagnosis.

Mr Sirrell sent a handwritten letter to the trust thanking Scott for his work and asking for him to be recognised.

He said: “It took me about five hours to write the letter because of my condition, but it was worth it. Without Scott I wouldn’t be here today. I have known him for so long, he almost feels like a son. When I first met him he was working as a junior staff nurse and he has been able to progress to his current role, which is lovely to see. He has always been a leader and a great tutor. Patients really are his priority. I have witnessed him work extremely hard over the years, he really has such extensive knowledge and expertise.”

Scott said: “I feel very proud and honoured to receive the UHNM Hero award after being nominated by Brian. I have worked in Neurology for many years and have always considered it to be a natural part of my role to improve patient care at every opportunity, so to receive an award for this is a nice surprise. I am very thankful to Brian, who I have had the pleasure to care for and build up a rapport with.”

Mr Sirrell has given Scott the UHNM Hero award

Scott has played a pivotal role in developing the neurology service at UHNM, including establishing the Neuro Ambulatory Care Unit (NACU) in 2015, where patients receive neurological treatments on a day-case basis instead of having to stay in hospital overnight.

Scott said: “Whilst working as a charge nurse on the neurology ward, I noticed how we frequently experienced difficulty finding beds for scheduled patient treatments. This had a negative impact on patients’ health due to delayed treatments and it also adversely affected their outcomes. NACU began on a small scale in a store room with three infusion chairs that were sourced from other hospital areas, but six years later it is an essential element of neurology care and treatment at UHNM. Many of our patients now receive their treatments and diagnostic investigations on an outpatient basis in NACU.”

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