A liver nurse has become award-winning for her work bringing testing into communities.

Donna Blinston from Bronglais Hospital is no ordinary nurse; she takes care of some of the most sick patients with liver disease and has been going above and beyond in her care.

Outside of her normal duties, she set out to engage more people with their liver health to catch warning signs early.

This work has won her the Nurse Recognition Award from the prestigious Falk Foundation/ Guts UK Charity national awards, dedicated to encouraging research and promoting patient care.

Donna, who has also won Wales Nurse of the Year from the Royal College of Nursing, wanted to address the underdiagnosis of chronic liver disease, with liver disease becoming the third biggest cause of death in the UK.

Currently, routine tests aren’t done unless patients are symptomatic, and liver blood tests often remain normal even when the disease is chronic.

The advanced nurse practitioner said: “[At the in-community events she hosted] our pick-up rate for significant liver disease was 10–13 per cent. By identifying patients early, we can intervene before irreversible liver damage occurs.

“Community-based screening enables earlier lifestyle intervention, clinical monitoring and prevention of progression to cirrhosis.

“They increase access to specialist hepatology support, reduce emergency presentations and empower individuals to understand their liver health and make informed changes.

“My hope is that this project will grow, increasing awareness of liver disease, improving equity of access and reducing preventable liver-related harm.”

Donna’s manager, Dawn Jones, described her as showing “exceptional leadership and commitment”: “Her work has strengthened pathways between community and specialist services, improved access to early assessment, and demonstrated the profound impact that nurse-led initiatives can have on patient outcomes.”

Donna was presented with the award and a £1,000 prize at the awards evening on 23 June.