The shortlist for the Moondance Cancer Awards – Wales’ only dedicated cancer awards – has been announced, celebrating the achievements of individuals and teams across NHS Wales and its partners who deliver, lead and innovate cancer services.
Over 110 nominations have been shortlisted down to 55 organisations, teams and individuals across 10 categories in areas including early detection and diagnosis, patient experience and cancer treatment.
Finalists include teams and leaders from all seven health boards in Wales, Velindre Cancer Centre, Tenovus Cancer Care, Life Sciences Hub Wales and Maggie’s, among others.
The second ever awards will be held on Thursday 13 June 2024 at Depot, Cardiff, hosted by journalist and presenter, Sean Fletcher. 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 exists to find, fund and fuel brilliant people and brave ideas to make Wales a world leader in cancer survival.
The finalists for each category are:
Achievement
Better Patient Experience
- Expanding Access to Patient Open Evenings – South West Wales Cancer Centre
- Head & Neck Pre-treatment Clinics – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- 24/7 Cancer Treatment Helpline – Hywel Dda UHB
- Cancer Callback Service – Tenovus Cancer Care Cardiff
- Nurse Led Post Radiotherapy Clinic – Velindre Cancer Centre
- Prostate Active Care Together (P.A.C.T) – Hywel Dda UHB
- Expansion of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service – Teenage Cancer Trust / Cardiff & Vale UHB
Patient & public participation & involvement
- Talk CPR – Future Care Planning Cymru – Kat Shelley (in memoriam), Velindre Talk CPR Wales project team
- Shaping Lung Health Checks in Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
- Unheard: Women’s journey through gynaecological cancer – Claire O’Shea (Patient rep), Tenovus Cancer Care, Senedd Cymru
- Improving Equity of Care for Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients – Tassia Haines (in memoriam) & campaigning colleagues
- QuicDNA – The Patient Voice – Craig Maxwell (Patient rep) & The QuicDNA team
- Developing the Breast Unit at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr – Aneurin Bevan UHB
Working Together
- 3D-printed Eye Shields for Radiotherapy – Swansea Bay UHB
- Optimising Radiotherapy Services – South West Wales Cancer Centre
- Creating a Regional Malignancy of Unknown Origin Service – Swansea Bay UHB/ Hywel Dda UHB
- One Wales Medicines Process for Better Cancer Treatment – All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC)
- Adapting the Welsh Bone Marrow Stem Cell Collection Model – Welsh Blood Service, Velindre Cancer Centre
- Enabling Research for Better Patient Outcomes – Hywel Dda UHB
Innovation and Improvement
Cancer Treatment
- 3D printing for Chest Wall Tumour Surgery – Swansea Bay UHB
- The Immunotherapy Toxicity Service – Velindre Cancer Centre
- Improving the Biomarker Testing Process for Lung Cancer – Cardiff & Vale UHB
- All-Wales Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis Service – Cardiff & Vale UHB, Basingstoke Peritoneal Malignancy Institute
- Surface Guided Radiotherapy – South West Wales Cancer Centre
Cancer Workforce
- Optimising the RDC & Expanding Services – Hywel Dda UHB
- Cellular Pathology – New ways of working – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
- Regional Hepatocellular Carcinoma Service for South Wales – Cardiff & Vale UHB, Aneurin Bevan UHB, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Workforce Planning – NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, Health Education and Improvement Wales
Early Detection & Diagnosis
- Lung Health Checks – Operational Pilot for Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
- Endoscopy Services – Transformation programme – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Prostate Cancer Rapid Diagnosis Pathway (PROSTAD) – Hywel Dda UHB, Swansea University, TriTech Institute, Cancer Research UK
- Radiology Cancer Navigator – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Neck Lump RDC – Swansea Bay UHB
- Optimising the lower GI pathway – Hywel Dda UHB
Working with Industry & 3rd Sector
- QuicDNA – All Wales Medical Genomics Service, Amgen, Illumina, Aneurin Bevan UHB, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff & Vale UHB, Cardiff University, Life Sciences Hub Wales, Tenovus Cancer Care, Health and Care Research Wales, Maxwell Family Genomics Fund
- Lung Health Checks – Operational Pilot for Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
- Tailored Holistic Patient Care & Support – South West Wales Cancer Centre & Maggie’s (South West Wales)
- Prehabilitation: Meeting patient need through multi-sector working – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & partners
Excellence
Systems & Pathways
- Caroline Williams – Interim Network Manager for Cancer – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
- Kirsty Morgan – Deputy Directorate Manager (Surgical Services) – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Sally Keenan – Pelvic Health Hub Coordinator – Cardiff & Vale UHB
- Kara Price – Transformation Programme Manager – Powys Teach HB
Non-Medical & Nursing
- Rebecca Pope – Clinical Research Specialist Nurse – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
- Patricia Rees – Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist – Hywel Dda UHB
- Rebecca Griffiths – Acute Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist – Cardiff & Vale UHB
- Claire Williams – Colorectal Surgical Care Practitioner – Cardiff & Vale UHB
- Jill Williams – Research Nurse – Hywel Dda UHB
- Rachel Lewis – Allied Health Professional Lead – Hywel Dda UHB
Medical
- Mr Michael Rees – Consultant Breast Surgeon – Aneurin Bevan UHB
- Dr Ricky Frazer – Consultant Medical Oncologist – Velindre Cancer Centre
- Dr Meleri Morgan – Consultant Histopathologist – Cardiff & Vale UHB
- Ms Zoe Barber – Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Dr Craig Barrington – Consultant Clinical Oncologist – South West Wales Cancer Centre
- Dr Sinan Eccles – Consultant in Respiratory Medicine – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
- Mr Simone Sebastiani – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon – Hywel Dda UHB
Commenting on the Moondance Cancer Awards, Dr Rob Orford, CEO of Moondance Cancer Initiative, said: “Recognising and celebrating the work of the talented and passionate people across Wales working in cancer services is vital in achieving our shared goal of improving cancer outcomes for patients. 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.
“The standard of entries from dedicated people and teams working across all parts of the cancer pathway, from detection, diagnosis, to treatment and care is evidence of the great work going on across Wales and we can’t wait to celebrate with the nominees and wider cancer community in June.”
The awards will be judged by an esteemed panel of experts and leaders including Professor Tom Crosby, Cancer Clinical Director for Wales; Cari-Anne Quinn, CEO of Life Sciences Hub Wales; Judith Paget CBE, Director General of Health & Social Services & Chief Executive of NHS Wales and Dr Heather Wilkes, GP & National Lead for Rapid Diagnosis Centres in Wales.
