An eczema nurse specialist at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating after being nominated for the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2012.

Lesley Matthews is one of four people shortlisted for this year’s Dermatology Nursing award. The award is given to individual nurses with the aim of recognising and rewarding high quality nursing leadership in dermatology care.

Lesley, who was the National Eczema Society’s Health Professional of the Year 2008, has been nominated thanks to her development of a specialist children’s eczema service, run  from the dermatology department at St Luke’s Hospital. The service has more than 1500 patients from across the district on its books.

Lesley became the city’s first eczema nurse when she was appointed a decade ago to develop a specialist service to help children and their families cope with the torment of eczema. A key aim of her role is to help youngsters understand the condition and how to manage it.

Consultant dermatologist, Dr Andrew Wright said: “Lesley is a unique individual; she not only co-ordinates the care of children with eczema across the district, but she runs her own clinic where she treats children and educates parents in how to look after their children.

“Lesley also goes the extra mile in that she operates an open-access policy which ensures that parents and even school nurses can call her direct with concerns about a child’s condition enabling prompt, continuous care for our patients.

“Her impact on childhood eczema over the last decade here in Bradford has been such that we rarely have to admit children to hospital with eczema. This is a huge transition and a better result all round for our youngsters and their families.

“Everyone in the dermatology department sincerely hopes that Lesley will be successful at the awards ceremony next week as no one deserves this prize more than her as she goes the extra mile every single day.”

Lesley will now travel down to London on Friday March 30 for the awards ceremony at the Landmark Hotel.

Chief Nurse, Sally Napper said: “We are extremely delighted for, and proud of, Lesley. Her enthusiasm, commitment and hard work, as well as continued personal and professional development, has been key to the successful development of this service within the Foundation Trust.”