Gareth was part of the team that treated my brother P for a number of weeks on the ACU unit. Sadly, P passed away following complicated surgery, but Gareth’s care, time, and compassion helped to make those last few weeks a little easier for both P and my family.

Gareth always had time to chat with us regarding P’s care and prognosis. This was delivered in a professional manner that was never patronising, and we were never once made to feel a nuisance for requesting updates. Staying informed is so important for families of critically ill patients, and we always felt more reassured when Gareth was on shift. More importantly than us, Gareth treated P like a human being, not just a patient. He washed his hair and gave him a shave. While these things don’t seem clinically significant, they gave my brother dignity in what turned out to be his last few weeks. By complete coincidence, Gareth was on shift when we received the devastating news that my brother’s condition was rapidly deteriorating. Gareth stayed with us while my brother passed and helped to make the situation as good as it could be.

Being a good nurse takes a rare combination of compassion, clinical excellence, intelligence, professionalism, and a genuine desire to treat the person as a whole. Gareth has all these qualities plus a certain something that you can’t measure or train. We have nominated Gareth to express our thanks and gratitude, but also because we feel it is so important that nurses like him are recognised and rewarded. My sister, my Mum, and I will be forever grateful that in such a tragic time, we were lucky to have a nurse like Gareth by our side.