An acute oncology nurse at Aintree has received a national award for Excellence in Acute Oncology at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Celebrating the Inspirational Cancer Nurse Conference.

Amy Cardinal was nominated by her manager for her outstanding dedication to improving patient outcomes through innovative use of Acute Oncology (AO) data, which has been driven by Amy’s own personal experiences after losing her father to Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2021.

has received a national award for Excellence in Acute Oncology at the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS) Celebrating the Inspirational Cancer Nurse Conference

When patients with cancer come into hospital with complications, doctors and nurses rely on Acute Oncology (AO) data, such as patient demographics, cancer type and treatment details to guide care. If this data isn’t collected or applied correctly, issues can occur such as:

  • Delays in treatment because early warning signs are missed.
  • Unnecessary tests or procedures that add stress without improving care.
  • Longer hospital stays that keep patients away from home and family.
  • Missed opportunities to improve services, leaving gaps in urgent cancer care.

Amy saw that while hospitals were gathering this data, it wasn’t always being used in ways that truly helped patients. Amy’s work has focused on ensuring increased accuracy and meaningful use of AO data, a critical factor in supporting safer, more responsive services.

She has recently presented her findings at the Macmillan Professionals Conference and continues to advance the Jeff Gordon Framework, named in honour of her father. The framework aims to ensure Acute Oncology data is visible and embedded within care delivery, enabling effective and meaningful use of patient data to shape services around their needs. 

Amy said: ‘I’m proud to be leading this work in honour of my father. By turning my pain into purpose, I can help to improve cancer care for patients in our hospitals, ensuing that patients can receive treatment that is better informed by their data.’

Amy’s achievements highlight the critical role nurses play in advancing healthcare innovation.