As a newly diagnosed cancer patient with a complicated social situation at home, Zoe was there for me in a way that is not often found within the fast-paced, somewhat anonymous, and changed landscape of today’s NHS. She managed to build trust in a short space of time and listened to me, the patient. I feel that the ability to really listen and engage with an individual is a skill that has been lost by so many through different pressures and expectations but is absolutely vital to patient wellbeing. It takes commitment, time, and going further than considering a patient from a clinical perspective.

Zoe was patient and kind, rang when she said she would, and didn’t forget that underneath the chemotherapy and the complications was a person, a human being, who needed reassurance and guidance at times but also was still there, beyond the diagnosis and clinical decisions. Having to have neoadjuvant chemotherapy meant I was catapulted straight into the therapy without much preparation and Zoe was my ‘go-to person', even though it really wasn’t her role to be so available and I feel that she deserves recognition for going a step further each time, through each cycle of chemotherapy to support me.

Many of the problems I encountered were ‘rare’ and not usually a problem, but she wasn’t phased; and even though my questions were basically the same as to why things were happening, she continued to be patient and kind, helping me to accept the unknowns. For me, she encompasses what good nursing should be; compassion and empathy are a vital part of what makes a positive experience within very difficult, scary circumstances. I am very grateful for her perseverance in supporting me, her good humor, and her resilience in what have been stressful times for us all, but doubly so when working within a stretched NHS, coping with change at short notice. She is a real star.