Meet the Team
Robert Clark
Robert Clark (RN) completed his initial nurse training in 2003 and has worked in various roles within rheumatology in hospitals and homecare settings across London and the UK for approximately 15 years.
He is passionate about service transformation and was involved in early group education for Biologic therapies and introduction of a Pharmacist and CNS led Virtual Biologics Service.
He was the BJN Rheumatology Nurse of the Year: Silver Award in 2022.He commenced peer education, professional speaking and recently co-opting with the RCN rheumatology nurse forum and the BSR. Robert will be working extensively to bring national awareness of clinical advice lines due to lack of policy and direction to help bring national minimal standards, ensuring that there is funded advice lines with the support of technology and resources.
He is currently working with the Rheumatology team at Whittington Health where he continues his passion and enthusiasm for service transformation, supporting the transition of electronic prescribing in rheumatology, standardising services for blood tests, designed and implemented the Rheumatology Trigger system for homecare biologic therapies, biologic infusions, IV and sub cut bisphosphonates. Redesigning the rheumatology nursing service, patient information and education so that the service is fit for purpose and easy for patients to use.
He is also working towards his MSc in advanced clinical practice, having already achieved non-medical prescribing and consultation and assessment; he seeks to continue to develop national policies to improve standards for rheumatology nurses and services as well as rheumatology nurse education.
Alan Davidson
Clinical Nurse Specialist and Independent Prescriber, Community Rheumatology, Modality LLP, Birmingham, West Midlands
Alan qualified in 1992 after training in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS) and serving for 10 years in total in surgical, orthopaedic and medical wards as well as ICU and A&E.
On leaving the military Alan took up various roles before settling in to rheumatology in October 1998 and shortly after undertook his rheumatology qualifications in 2000 at the National Orthopaedic Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital in Oswestry as a resident student for several months.
Working on a rheumatology 22 bedded ward lead to a consolidation of his training and he then went on to become a Liaison Nurse in rheumatology at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth where he eventually led on setting the biologics service after being involved in the early trials of the first biologics especially Enbrel. Once the ward eventually closed Alan then went on to help establish a busy Day Unit as the clinical manager of the unit and department which went on to win multiple awards and recognition before he left in 2010 after relocation to the West Midlands where he still currently practices.
His main roles include running rheumatology education and monitoring clinics whilst striving to empower patients with their disease management. As a non-medical prescriber this ensures patients get on to treatment quickly. Alan also helps with keeping guidelines up to date and works with the British Society of Rheumatology on their Standards, Audit and Guidelines Working Group (SAGWG) since October 2021.
Lucy Craig
Professional Nurse Advocate
Lucy qualified as a children’s nurse in 1994 and worked across various acute medical wards at the Great North Children’s Hospital (GNCH) in Newcastle upon Tyne before moving into Children’s Rheumatology as a Nurse Specialist in 2012, she enjoyed the work so much she ended up staying there. Alongside the ‘normal’ role as a children’s Rheumatology nurse specialist, she is the transition co-ordinator within her team and works across the region with Adult Rheumatology colleagues to smooth the transfer process of patients when moving from children’s to adult services.
Lucy has become involved with presenting and lecturing at different regional conferences and also initiated many different quality improvement projects both within Children’s Rheumatology but also for the GNCH. She championed the roll out of the ‘You’re Welcome’ Department of Health initiative aimed at improving experiences of teenagers accessing the Children’s Wards and Departments at GNCH. She also won a Practice Improvement award for pioneering the GNCH Learning Disability Passport for the Hospital to support CYP and families.
She is passionate about supporting her nursing colleagues and recently qualified as a Professional Nurse Advocate, she also works alongside the Speak up Guardian as a champion at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals to listen to concerns raised by staff across the hospital.
In her spare time away from work, she is kept busy by her three teenagers and is also a running and sea swimming bore.
Contact
Professional Lead: Sally Wilson
@salsa442
Follow the forum on Twitter: @RCNOPF
Sally Wilson is a Registered Nurse for Learning Disabilities who has worked in a variety of clinical settings including community nursing, nursing homes, respite and acute care. Sally qualified as a Registered Nurse for Learning Disabilities in 1998 and started working in an assessment and treatment unit for people with learning disabilities and mental health illness. She then worked with older adults with learning disabilities, supporting long term conditions and end of life care in nursing home settings. Sally went on to manage a respite service for adults and children with learning disabilities and complex needs, before joining a community team where she worked in both primary and secondary care. In 2014 she joined an acute team as a Matron for Vulnerable Patients and Safeguarding Adults Lead in a district and general hospital before taking a Professional Lead role with the Royal College of Nursing. She completed a master’s in advanced nursing studies, graduating in 2021 the content of her masters had a clear focus on vulnerable patients, safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act.
Sally chose a career in learning disability nursing after working as a care assistant for 2 years, during which time she learned the essentials of care delivery. She would describe herself as being adaptable enough to recognise the need to change within the profession, flexible enough to change her clinical practice when needed, and tenacious enough to promote a strong ethical base to colleagues.
Sally has been passionately committed to the care of older people for many years and seeks to continue to advocate for this patient group and improve quality of care delivery at all levels.
Page last updated - 09/08/2024
