Sharon Manning, MBE
Sharon Manning, formerly a Macmillan cancer nurse specialist at North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, becomes an MBE for services to cancer patient care.
Sharon’s remarkable career began as a cleaner at Glan Clwyd Hospital in 1989. She realised she wanted to care for patients and became an auxiliary nurse, before studying for her nursing degree - despite leaving school aged 15 with no qualifications.
After attaining a 2:1 in nursing at the age of 47, she became a staff nurse at North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre. She then completed a 10-month secondment as a lung cancer nurse, before returning to the Centre.
In 2011, Sharon became a Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist in gynaecological oncology and set about thinking of ways to improve patient care.
One notable achievement was to utilise a “Rocket Drain”, which allowed patients who had to repeatedly drain fluid from their abdomen to self-administer the procedure at home.
As well as giving patients a better quality of life, it cut down on the hours travelling to and attending outpatient appointments each week.
The procedure was adopted across North Wales and it won Sharon an Innovation Award and Macmillan Fellowship, for pioneering the use of the Rocket Drain Service.
Sharon was also invited to Downing Street last year, as part of the NHS’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, in recognition of her incredible achievements as a nurse.
She said: “I feel very privileged, proud and incredibly humbled to have received this award. I dedicate it to all the beautiful ladies I cared for and the families I supported, who truly were the real heroes.
“I hope this award gives the younger generation of nurses a direction and drive to succeed in the coming years of their chosen careers.”