Two Mersey Care nurses have been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title in recognition of their efforts to high standards of patient care within their communities across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Denise Davies, a specialist Community Public Health Nurse in School Nursing based in Bootle, Sefton, and Hannah Molyneux, a Safeguarding Adults Nurse based in Huyton, Liverpool, received the honour from community nursing charity The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), during a ceremony in London.

Hannah (pictured below at the ceremony) received her award for showing ‘commitment to high standards of patient care and continually improving practice,’ while the judges thought Denise showed ‘commitment to high standards of patient care within school health.’

“I’ve worked as a community nurse for over 15 years, and this is such an honour to receive this award for doing the job that I love,” said Hannah. “I feel very proud and privileged to represent the Queen’s Nursing Institute within my organisation.”

Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu, who was the first sickle cell and thalassaemia specialist nurse in 1979 and has continued to fight health inequalities ever since, presented the awards.

“I’ve worked within school health, in the community, for almost 12 years and have found it extremely rewarding working with children, young people and their families,” explained Denise, pictured below with Dame Anionwu. “It was an honour to receive the Queens Nurse Award for my role within school health – I’m passionate about making a difference and supporting those in times of need.”

The QNI presents the Queen’s Nurse Award annually to those nurses that have “demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.”

Trish Bennett, Mersey Care’s Chief Nursing Officer, who was presented with the Chief Nursing Officer award by NHS England in 2023, said: “It’s a great honour for any nurse to be presented with this award so I’d like to offer my congratulations to Hannah and Denise for their outstanding success.

“Nurses are the bedrock of the NHS and I know they will both be very proud at receiving such a prestigious award and recognition of all their efforts over many years.”