OUR HEROES: DEDICATED NURSE A LIFELINE TO PATIENTS
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DAVE BLACKHURST
DAVE.BLACKHURST@THESENTINEL.CO.UK

09:40 - 16 June 2008



Co-ordinator Margaret Trevor has become much more than a nurse to patients with motor neurone disease - she is their lifeline as they struggle to make sense of the dreadful affliction.

As well as channelling the best healthcare available their way, she is also their friend, adviser, confidante and troubleshooter to secure them all the social help they may need.

Margaret works in the neurology clinic of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and specialises in helping patients with the incurable motor neurone disease.

She has been nominated as a Hero of the NHS by stepfather-of-two Michael Hamnett, aged 44, from Meir Hay, who was diagnosed with the illnesses two years ago.

Since then, Margaret has helped sort out his statutory financial support and laid on visits to his home by a wide variety of health staff. But just as importantly, she is someone he can ring up at any time for reassurance and help with his symptoms.

Michael, who was a butcher in Meir for 21 years before falling ill, said: "Without Margaret we would all be lost.

"She is always ringing me to check whether I'm OK - and she even broke into her holiday to visit me. That's real dedication. She also called me on Christmas Day and all us patients feel the same way about Margaret."

Margaret who has performed the role for the past three and a half years looks after between 20 and 25 patients from North Staffordshire and around 15 from hospitals at Stafford and Crewe which also fall under the influence of the Hartshill complex.

For patients so ill they find problems leaving the house, she arranges home visits from a wide variety of specialist nursing and therapy staff.

She said: "I don't feel I do any more than many other staff - we are in these careers to help people after all.

"I take on patients as soon as they are first diagnosed with this awfully cruel condition. In fact, I like to be there at the very moment when the doctor gives the bad news so I can talk to them straight away."

A senior staff nurse, she also runs the neurology clinic at the department.

Michael added: "In my case she arranged respiratory nurses to visit me as well as staff from the Douglas Macmillan Hospice.

"If there's anything I need, Margaret sorts it and she did a lot to help me get a wheelchair and sort out my financial circumstances."
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