Earlier this year, to celebrate the outstanding achievements and commitment of hospital staff, members of the public were asked to nominate their Medway Maritime Hospital Hero.
We would like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination to the Kent Messenger, the award sponsors, who have now chosen their five finalists.
The Hospital Hero Award recognises a hospital worker who has done something extraordinary or made a real difference to patients’ lives, or their friends or family, and is one of 11 awards to be presented at next month’s Medway Annual Star Awards.
Liz Maclaren is the first of our finalists. A clinical nurse specialist, she works in our Children’s Outreach and Specialist Team which involves looking after children with cancer. At any one time, she and her team can be looking after up to 40 patients across Medway, Gravesend and Swale, from newborns to 19-year-olds.

Liz, who has been in her current role for seven years, said: “We follow patients from the point of breaking bad news and throughout treatment. We get to see them at home, and then if all goes well, we sort of send them off well and treated.
“The treatment is fantastic – they can do some really amazing things now, but sometimes people just can’t be cured, and that’s obviously absolutely tragic.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be nominated. Being shortlisted has come at a challenging time so it is nice to be appreciated for clinical nurse specialists all around.
“I’ve got a fantastic team of nurses that work with me, so it’s not just me, I’m not just a one-man band, but it means a lot.”
Read Liz’s story on Kent Online to find out why she has been nominated as a Medway Maritime Hospital Hero.
Look out for stories about the other four finalists in the Medway Messenger and on Kent Online in the coming weeks.
The winner of the Hospital Hero Award will be announced at our awards ceremony in June.
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