A haematologist at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has been honoured by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan for her work on post-transplant care, at an awards ceremony held at the Tower of London.
Dr Fiona Dignan took home the award for Clinical Supporter of the Year Award at the Anthon
y Nolan Supporter Awards 2019.
The award is in recognition of her support of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for blood cancers including acute myeloid leukaemia.
She has been instrumental in bringing together leading healthcare professionals, local NHS representatives and patients in the development of Anthony Nolan’s new post-transplant care pathway – which sets out the services and support transplant patients need during recovery. She also champions patient experiences as a key member of NHS England’s Blood and Marrow Transplantation Clinical Reference Group.
On receiving the award, Dr Dignan said: “I’m really pleased with the award- it really was a joint effort.”
“I see first-hand the many physical and psychological problems that patients face post-transplant. This regular contact with patients who are cured but still not well is what motivated me to get involved in Anthony Nolan’s work”.
Henny Braund, Chief Executive at Anthony Nolan, said: ‘Dr Dignan is a hugely deserving winner of this award; her incredible support and passion for our work is a fantastic example of our charity, which is built on making lifesaving connections. I continue to find myself inspired and humbled by the dedication and strength of supporters like her.
‘By providing the best clinical and post-transplant care, we are curing blood cancer together. We can give families hope, and give more people a future. But without supporters like Dr Fiona Dignan, lives can’t be saved. Without her, there is no cure.’
The awards took place on Thursday 28 November at the Tower of London.
Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching stem cell donors for people with blood cancer and blood disorders and gives them a second chance at life. It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.
To see the full shortlist, and find out more about the charity visit www.anthonynolan.org/awards