Publish date: 19 May 2022
Mesothelioma UK appoints new head of nursing
Leah Taylor has been appointed as the new head of nursing for Mesothelioma UK, a national asbestos-related cancer charity.
In this role, Leah will work closely with the charity’s operational team and trustees, and will provide strategic leadership of the charity’s UK network of 34 clinical nurse specialists.
Leah steps up from her previous position as a Mesothelioma UK team leader for the North of England, and is based at the Wansbeck General Hospital, part of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The appointment of Leah, who has worked for Mesothelioma UK for seven years, follows the retirement of former UK head of nursing, Lorraine Creech, who leaves the charity after eight years.
Commenting on her new role, Leah said: “I am honoured to take up the role of head of nursing at Mesothelioma UK, I would like to celebrate the contribution of my predecessor Lorraine Creech, who set out our first vision and strategy for mesothelioma nursing and look forward to building on this inspiring work. We continue to have a strong nursing presence in England and Scotland and have ongoing, exciting projects in Wales and Northern Ireland which are essential to ensure our nursing expertise is available throughout the UK.
“I am keen to ensure our nurses have opportunities for learning and development to enable them to provide continuous clinical excellence to patients with mesothelioma, their families and the NHS. Leading a UK-wide team of dedicated clinical nurse specialists is a once-in-a-career opportunity and I would like to thank Mesothelioma UK and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for supporting me in this role.”
Lorraine added: “I have been a nurse for 46 years and the time is right for me to have a little time for myself now. I have worked with the most amazing people and Mesothelioma UK now has 34 mesothelioma nurse specialists who demonstrate their expertise every day and are so supportive to each other. Every one of them makes me proud. I wish them all the best for the future and it has been a pleasure to know them.
“Passing the proverbial baton to Leah Taylor is a pleasure and I know she will continue to develop the and strengthen the Mesothelioma UK nursing service.”
Mesothelioma UK chief executive, Liz Darlison, said: “Leah has all the right skills, expertise and experience to step into the head of nursing role, which has been developed so effectively by Lorraine. We wish Lorraine a long and happy retirement and are delighted that Leah has accepted the promotion to continue the work to further our vision for mesothelioma nursing.”
Dr Laura Mackay, Northumbria Healthcare’s head of respiratory service, said: “This is a great honour for the trust. But more importantly, it’s a real endorsement of how hard Leah works to make a difference to patients here at Northumbria Healthcare and under her leadership we know that care for patients with mesothelioma and their families will continue to improve.”