Sandra Lawton
Nurse Consultant, Queen's Nurse
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Sandra is Nurse Consultant Dermatology, The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Past Chair of BDNG (British Dermatological Nursing Group) 1998-2000. She is also a specialist advisor for CQC. She qualified as a general nurse in 1981 and as a children’s nurse in 2001. She started her nursing career in 1975 prior to her general training at Nottingham Eye Hospital and gained the Ophthalmic Nursing Diploma. Sandra has worked in dermatology for over 30 years previously at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and developed the role of dermatology liaison sister in 1990, the first post of its kind in the UK. Her areas of interest include paediatric dermatology, care of children and their families with atopic eczema, nurse led services and vulval skin conditions. She has contributed to the field of dermatology through her publications, presentations and research at national and international level.
She was awarded Public Servant of the Year in 2003, the title of Queen’s Nurse in 2007, Fellow of Queen’s Nursing Institute in 2012, OBE in 2014 for services to nursing and named one of The Most Inspirational People in Nottinghamshire in 2015.
On hearing of Sandra's Queen’s Nurse award, Professor Hywel Williams said:
"I am very happy indeed to hear of this recognition of Sandra' terrific contribution to dermatology. I am so proud of Sandra and the many things that she does for our patients and us. It has been, and is, such a pleasure working with such an enthusiastic, caring, hard-working person who still has a sense of humour at the end of the day. And long may it continue".
Sandra was a founder member of the Nottingham Support Group for Carers of Children with Eczema in 1995. Sandra was instrumental in the NSGCCE being presented with the National Eczema Society Local Support Group award. In2005 Sandra was again the prime mover in the NSGCCE being awarded the British Journal of Nursing Clinical Practice Award.” She has also been involved with the production of the Patient Information Leaflets (PIL's) both as lead author and major contributor and continues to do so.
As a member of the NICE guideline group she was part of the team that produced the CG57 Guideline - Atopic Eczema in Children and has been a trustee of the National Eczema Society. She is passionate about eczema research and works closely with the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology and other research teams nationally.
Her outstanding list of achievements was further enhanced when she won the prestigious Stone Award in 2010 presented by the British Dermatological Nursing Group, and the 2011 Alumni Laureate Award from The University of Nottingham, recognising her contribution to dermatology nursing in the UK.