Toni Weldon: Rochdale Infirmary specialist nurse wins national award

Toni Weldon heart failure specialist nurse

Toni Weldon, a heart failure specialist nurse covering Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital, has won a national award.

Toni  was one of only eight people in the country to be given a Pumping Marvellous Award. It is given by the Pumping Marvellous Charity for heart failure patients and can only be achieved following a nomination from the patient community for their exceptional quality of care and treatment.

The award acknowledges the value that healthcare professionals bring to the treatment of heart failure, improving patient outcomes throughout the UK.

Toni was nominated by patient Pat Cooke who commended her outstanding patient care in enabling her to understand her condition. She said: “Heart failure nurse Toni Weldon from Rochdale Infirmary has been a wonderful tower of strength to me since my diagnosis of heart failure in November 2014.”

Presented with a ‘You’re Simply Marvellous’ award in December, Toni said: “I am so proud and would like to say a very big thank you firstly for being nominated and then winning one of the Simply Marvellous awards. I feel so privileged and valued by my patients and I am so pleased that the heart failure community acknowledges our contribution.”

As a representative of the UK Heart Failure patients’ voice, The Pumping Marvellous Foundation emphasises the importance of the patient perspective in recognising and rewarding healthcare professionals.

Nick Hartshorne Evans, founder and CEO of The Pumping Marvellous Foundation, said: “We are delighted that our patient community has chosen Toni Weldon to receive this yearly award from the charity. It’s so important that patients and their families can work with and operate as a team with their healthcare professional and Toni Weldon was one of only eight chosen healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom to be nominated by the charity’s patients. A superb achievement and all eight of the healthcare professionals should be proud of themselves.”

Paula Bithell, nurse consultant in cardiology at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which runs Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital, said: “Toni is a dedicated nurse who prides herself on delivering a high standard of individual care to her patients and their families. Therefore it is wonderful that she has received this prestigious award as recognition of her commitment and dedication to her patients.”