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Nursing lead receives
MBE at Palace
LOCAL nursing leader Avril Devaney
was personally awarded her MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II at a recent ceremony
at Buckingham Palace.
Avril, Director of Nursing, Therapies and Patient Partnership at Cheshire
and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), was named in the New
Year's Honours List for 'Services to Nursing of People with Mental
Health Problems'.
Avril said:- "We had an amazing day at the palace. Everyone was
helpful and kind and I felt very privileged to stand before the Queen.
Working in mental health services has always been much more than a job to me
and it was a lovely surprise to have my contribution recognised in this way.
I look forward to continuing to work in mental health services in Cheshire
and Wirral."
This is the latest in a long line of accolades for Avril, who was first
recognised in November 1999 when she received The Queen's Nursing Institute
Award for Innovation after establishing a mental health nursing service in
police custody suites. She is well known for addressing the harm caused by
smoking to people with mental health conditions, and led the work to make CWP the
1st smoke free mental health trust in England. She has also led
its Challenging Stigma campaign since 2004.
Passionate about person centred care and reducing health inequalities, Avril
has been the Trust's link with mental health services at Kisiizi Hospital in
Uganda since 2010, and was a founder of the Jamie Devaney Memorial Fund to
support mental health services in Uganda and create a lasting legacy for her
son Jamie, who died aged four following a short illness during a family
holiday and fundraising trip there. She received an honorary MA in 2014 from
the University of Chester in recognition of her outstanding contribution to
healthcare. In 2015 Avril was also recognised as a Nursing Times Leader.
David Eva, CWP chair, said:- "We're all so proud of Avril for being
recognised with an MBE, and indeed for her many achievements throughout her
career. Avril's unwavering commitment to ensuring that people who use our
service receive the highest possible care continues to be a source of
inspiration for everyone involved with CWP." |
