A SPECIALIST team of nurses from Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has honoured for their work with a prestigious national award.

The hospital's skin cancer team was announced as winners of the nursing category in industry magazine the Nursing Times Awards 2017 during a glittering ceremony on Thursday.

Nurses and organisations were honoured across 23 categories in a night of recognition dedicated to celebrating exceptional achievement.

Following a rigorous judging process, Joanne Upton and the Skin Cancer Team emerged as the winner of cancer nursing for their work on developing standardised immunotherapy guidelines for the management of immune related side effects.

The judges praised them for their vision, passion and commitment in taking this innovative project not only locally, but nationally.

Skin cancer advanced nurse practitioner Joanne Upton said: "The Centre is leading the way in many novel cancer therapies and we are always looking for ways to improve our care.

"I am honoured to accept this award on behalf of the team and thrilled they have been recognised for the work put in to produce these guidelines which will benefit all cancer patients receiving immunotherapy across the UK."

The award was open to individual nurses or teams from the NHS, or independent sectors, who have improved the quality of care patients receive during diagnosis and treatment, or care and support for cancer survivors or those in remission.

Helen Porter, director of nursing, said: "This award is recognition for the hard work and dedication of our nurses in the care of our patients.

"It is a tremendous achievement driven by the highest quality nursing vision."

The awards ceremony was hosted by Jenni Middleton, editor of Nursing Times.

She said: "Nursing is not just about some of the high-profile images of the profession you see in the media, such as the life-saving work of theatre nurses and the emergency and critical care provided by A&E nurses.

"It's also about nurses helping to prevent ill-health, managing long-term conditions and supporting the most vulnerable people in our society to live independently and as they would wish." 

The Nursing Times Awards are the most respected and relevant awards in the nursing and healthcare sector, representing true excellence in nursing and patient care.