The shortlist for the Moondance Cancer Awards – Wales’ only dedicated cancer awards – has been announced, celebrating the achievements of individuals and teams across NHS Wales and its partners who deliver, lead and innovate cancer services.

Over 110 nominations have been shortlisted down to 55 organisations, teams and individuals across 10 categories in areas including early detection and diagnosis, patient experience and cancer treatment.

Finalists include teams and leaders from all seven health boards in Wales, Velindre Cancer Centre, Tenovus Cancer Care, Life Sciences Hub Wales and Maggie’s, among others.

The second ever awards will be held on Thursday 13 June 2024 at Depot, Cardiff, hosted by journalist and presenter, Sean Fletcher. All shortlisted nominees and their nominators will receive free tickets to the event, as a thank you from Moondance Cancer Initiative in recognition of their dedication and commitment to cancer services across Wales.

Moondance Cancer Initiative exists to find, fund and fuel brilliant people and brave ideas to make Wales a world leader in cancer survival.

The finalists for each category are:

Achievement

Better Patient Experience

Expanding Access to Patient Open Evenings – South West Wales Cancer Centre
Head & Neck Pre-treatment Clinics – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
24/7 Cancer Treatment Helpline – Hywel Dda UHB
Cancer Callback Service – Tenovus Cancer Care Cardiff
Nurse Led Post Radiotherapy Clinic – Velindre Cancer Centre
Prostate Active Care Together (P.A.C.T) – Hywel Dda UHB
Expansion of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service – Teenage Cancer Trust / Cardiff & Vale UHB

Patient & public participation & involvement

Talk CPR – Future Care Planning Cymru – Kat Shelley (in memoriam), Velindre Talk CPR Wales project team
Shaping Lung Health Checks in Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
Unheard: Women’s journey through gynaecological cancer – Claire O’Shea (Patient rep), Tenovus Cancer Care, Senedd Cymru
Improving Equity of Care for Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients – Tassia Haines (in memoriam) & campaigning colleagues
QuicDNA – The Patient Voice – Craig Maxwell (Patient rep) & The QuicDNA team
Developing the Breast Unit at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr – Aneurin Bevan UHB

Working Together

3D-printed Eye Shields for Radiotherapy – Swansea Bay UHB
Optimising Radiotherapy Services – South West Wales Cancer Centre
Creating a Regional Malignancy of Unknown Origin Service – Swansea Bay UHB/ Hywel Dda UHB
One Wales Medicines Process for Better Cancer Treatment – All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC)
Adapting the Welsh Bone Marrow Stem Cell Collection Model – Welsh Blood Service, Velindre Cancer Centre
Enabling Research for Better Patient Outcomes – Hywel Dda UHB

Innovation and Improvement

Cancer Treatment

3D printing for Chest Wall Tumour Surgery – Swansea Bay UHB
The Immunotherapy Toxicity Service – Velindre Cancer Centre
Improving the Biomarker Testing Process for Lung Cancer – Cardiff & Vale UHB
All-Wales Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis Service – Cardiff & Vale UHB, Basingstoke Peritoneal Malignancy Institute
Surface Guided Radiotherapy – South West Wales Cancer Centre

Cancer Workforce

Optimising the RDC & Expanding Services – Hywel Dda UHB
Cellular Pathology – New ways of working – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
Regional Hepatocellular Carcinoma Service for South Wales – Cardiff & Vale UHB, Aneurin Bevan UHB, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Workforce Planning – NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, Health Education and Improvement Wales

Early Detection & Diagnosis

Lung Health Checks – Operational Pilot for Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
Endoscopy Services – Transformation programme – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Prostate Cancer Rapid Diagnosis Pathway (PROSTAD) – Hywel Dda UHB, Swansea University, TriTech Institute, Cancer Research UK
Radiology Cancer Navigator – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Neck Lump RDC – Swansea Bay UHB
Optimising the lower GI pathway – Hywel Dda UHB

Working with Industry & 3rd Sector

QuicDNA – All Wales Medical Genomics Service, Amgen, Illumina, Aneurin Bevan UHB, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff & Vale UHB, Cardiff University, Life Sciences Hub Wales, Tenovus Cancer Care, Health and Care Research Wales, Maxwell Family Genomics Fund
Lung Health Checks – Operational Pilot for Wales – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & National Strategic Clinical Network for Cancer
Tailored Holistic Patient Care & Support – South West Wales Cancer Centre & Maggie’s (South West Wales)
Prehabilitation: Meeting patient need through multi-sector working – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB & partners

Excellence

Systems & Pathways

Caroline Williams – Interim Network Manager for Cancer – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
Kirsty Morgan – Deputy Directorate Manager (Surgical Services) – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Sally Keenan – Pelvic Health Hub Coordinator – Cardiff & Vale UHB
Kara Price – Transformation Programme Manager – Powys Teach HB

Non-Medical & Nursing

Rebecca Pope – Clinical Research Specialist Nurse – Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
Patricia Rees – Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist – Hywel Dda UHB
Rebecca Griffiths – Acute Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist – Cardiff & Vale UHB
Claire Williams – Colorectal Surgical Care Practitioner – Cardiff & Vale UHB
Jill Williams – Research Nurse – Hywel Dda UHB
Rachel Lewis – Allied Health Professional Lead – Hywel Dda UHB

Medical

Mr Michael Rees – Consultant Breast Surgeon – Aneurin Bevan UHB
Dr Ricky Frazer – Consultant Medical Oncologist – Velindre Cancer Centre
Dr Meleri Morgan – Consultant Histopathologist – Cardiff & Vale UHB
Ms Zoe Barber – Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Dr Craig Barrington – Consultant Clinical Oncologist – South West Wales Cancer Centre
Dr Sinan Eccles – Consultant in Respiratory Medicine – Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Mr Simone Sebastiani – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon – Hywel Dda UHB

Commenting on the Moondance Cancer Awards, Dr Rob Orford, CEO of Moondance Cancer Initiative, said: “Recognising and celebrating the work of the talented and passionate people across Wales working in cancer services is vital in achieving our shared goal of improving cancer outcomes for patients. And importantly, the awards night is a great opportunity for colleagues from all corners of Wales to connect and hopefully spark new ideas for change and improvement.

“The standard of entries from dedicated people and teams working across all parts of the cancer pathway, from detection, diagnosis, to treatment and care is evidence of the great work going on across Wales and we can’t wait to celebrate with the nominees and wider cancer community in June.”

The awards will be judged by an esteemed panel of experts and leaders including Professor Tom Crosby, Cancer Clinical Director for Wales; Cari-Anne Quinn, CEO of Life Sciences Hub Wales; Judith Paget CBE, Director General of Health & Social Services & Chief Executive of NHS Wales and Dr Heather Wilkes, GP & National Lead for Rapid Diagnosis Centres in Wales.