Brilliant people implementing brave ideas to improve cancer outcomes in Wales can now enter the country’s only dedicated cancer awards.
Established in 2022, the Moondance Cancer Awards are returning for a second time to celebrate and spotlight individuals and teams across NHS Wales and its partners who deliver, lead and innovate cancer services.
The celebration and awards night will take place at Depot, Cardiff, on Thursday 13 June 2024. Hosted by journalist and presenter, Sean Fletcher, the evening is not your typical awards night and will include a range of street food and live music from a local indie band. All shortlisted nominees and their nominators will receive free tickets to the event, as a thank you from Moondance Cancer Initiative in recognition of their dedication and commitment to cancer services across Wales.
Moondance Cancer Initiative, which exists to find, fund and fuel brilliant people and brave ideas to make Wales a world leader in cancer survival, recently announced the appointment of Dr Rob Orford OBE as its new chief executive officer from April 2024.
Jared Torkington, clinical director at Moondance Cancer Initiative, said: “We’re excited to announce the return of the Moondance Cancer Awards to recognise the achievements of people and teams working across all parts of cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment pathways. There’s real innovation happening across the country and our accolades aim to demonstrate this and showcase the brilliant people helping make a difference across cancer services in Wales.
“Recognising and celebrating this work is vital in achieving our shared goal of better survival rates of cancer across the country. And importantly, the awards night is a great opportunity for colleagues from all corners of Wales to connect and hopefully spark new ideas for change and improvement.”
Winners from the 2022 awards included the South Wales lung cancer collaboration, a joint service model for thoracic surgery run by teams from Cardiff and Vale and Swansea Bay University Health Boards and the introduction of transnasal endoscopy, using scopes developed by Olympus Medical to test for oesophageal and gastric cancers via the nose instead of the traditional method through the mouth, run by Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Cardiff and Vale University Health Boards. A special accolade was given to Dr Heather Wilkes for her outstanding contribution in bringing Wales’ first Rapid Diagnosis Centre to Swansea Bay.
Entries for the 2024 Moondance Cancer Awards are open for people and teams working across any part of the cancer pathway from awareness, through to detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. Entrants can nominate themselves or others into any number of the 10 categories.
The categories for the 2024 Moondance Cancer Awards are:
Achievement: This category of awards recognises individuals and teams that have enabled positive change for cancer patients.
Innovation and Improvement: This category of awards will celebrate individuals and teams that have innovated and/or improved cancer services, demonstrating better outcomes for (suspected) cancer patients and measurable improvements in the quality and effectiveness of services.
Excellence: The excellence category spotlights key individuals who are inspiring and mobilising changes leading to better cancer outcomes in Wales. Individuals at all levels below Executive / Medical Director are eligible, and we are interested in those driving change in frontline services, and in support services.
Entries for the awards are open until Wednesday 10 April – moondance-cancer.wales/awards
