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Devon community nurse wins long service award

Louise Crackle is honoured by Queen's Nursing Institute after helping community patients in Devon for more than 20 years

A community matron who helps patients with long-term conditions to be cared for at home has received a long service award from the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust community matron Louise Crackle has been a community nurse for more than 21 years.

She leads a team of three nurses in the Bideford health and social care team reducing admissions to hospital and speeding up discharges.

Many of Ms Crackle’s patients have conditions including Parkinson’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dementia.

Ms Crackle said: ‘Many people want to stay at home and they are just about managing, but not quite. We try to improve people’s way of life by bringing in befrienders or an extra carer or physiotherapist.

‘One man, who has been on my caseload for eight years, has complex health problems and used to spend about six months of the year in hospital. I’ve given him the confidence that he can stay at home and he now only spends a few days a year in hospital.

‘The most important thing in my job is to listen to patients and their relatives. I have to put myself in their shoes if they are anxious, scared or angry. I need to absorb this and help them through. A lot of my job is about counselling.’

Ms Crackle has received the title of Queen's Nurse and will collect her badge and certificate at a ceremony in London on May 9.