RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards

Patient Trials Advocate, Vivienne Wilson, has been highly commended for her inspiring work at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards for 2023.

During the awards ceremony held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 21 June, Vivienne was a finalist in the Inspiring Excellence - Nursing Innovation and Research Award category for her leadership in the delivery of the Patient Trials Advocate (PTA) service, developed by Make 2nds Count.

The awards shine a spotlight on the best of nursing - to recognise, highlight and celebrate the dedication and outstanding professional care of nursing staff across Scotland.

Senior Research Nurse and finalist Vivienne Wilson said, "What an honour to be recognised by RCN Scotland for my role in helping to develop and deliver the Patient Trials Advocate service. I'm really proud of what we have achieved at Make 2nds Count, delivering such a unique but much needed service for patients with secondary breast cancer."

The average life expectancy of a secondary breast cancer patient once diagnosed is between two and three years.[1] Research shows that people who access clinical trials have better outcomes than those that don't, and yet there are barriers to access.

A 2021 survey by the University of Warwick funded by Make 2nds Count revealed that only 23% of secondary breast cancer patients had discussed trials with their clinician, and most respondents thought it was a ‘last resort’ or that they would be given a placebo.

This research demonstrated an urgent need for a service that would support patients with secondary breast cancer in getting better access to clinical trial treatment. Working with patient advocate Lesley Stephen, Senior Research Nurse Vivienne Wilson developed an ambitious pilot project, aiming to raise awareness of clinical trials among the secondary breast cancer community and help match them to eligible UK trials.

Since the pilot in 2021, the project has grown into the innovative Patient Trials Advocate service we know today, which has supported more than 300 patients living with secondary breast cancer. Available UK-wide, patients can self-refer to receive bespoke support and a personalised clinical trials search by our dedicated PTA team.

Following their PTA appointment, one patient said, “Vivienne was amazing. She was so kind and very knowledgeable. She helped in a very quick manner so that I could take them to my next appointment with my oncologist. I would 100% recommend this service to anyone and hope it stays around so that I’m able to use it again in the future if my current line of treatment stops working and to help see what new trials are available.”

Joanne Lacey, Trustee of the charity said, “Vivienne has been integral to developing and shaping Make 2nds Count’s Patient Trial Advocate service. She has demonstrated compassion, sensitivity and understanding with the patients as well as leadership and flexibility when it comes to engaging stakeholders and building an entirely new service from scratch! We are lucky to have her leading the project.”

Find out more about the Patient Trials Advocate service here.

A list of RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year 2023 finalists is available here.

[1] Cancer Research UK, www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/survival Accessed: May 2023