Monica Fletcher, OBE awarded European Respiratory Society Fellowship
Education for Health Chief Executive Monica Fletcher OBE has been awarded a prestigious European Respiratory Society (ERS) fellowship. As a Fellow of the ERS (FERS) Monica joins a group of respected leaders whose have been recognised for their lifetime excellence and contributions to research, education and clinical leadership in respiratory medicine.
Monica’s work in the field of respiratory care and long-term conditions has made an enormous difference to the lives of millions of patients. Monica is a passionate advocate of patient participation in healthcare and promotes ‘person centred’ care and this became a central focus as Chair of the European Lung Foundation. She has devoted her professional and much of her personal life to influencing and making changes that have a real impact at both an institutional level, and to people’s day-to-day lives.
Jane Scullion, Respiratory Nurse Consultant and East Midlands Respiratory Clinical Lead commented: “This is a thoroughly well-deserved honour for someone who has worked nationally and internationally improving respiratory care for patients primarily through education of professionals. Monica has led from the front but is a team player supporting and nurturing colleagues.”
Professor Mike Morgan, Respiratory National Clinical Director, President of the British Thoracic Society, Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine commented: “Monica is fully deserving of such a prestigious international honour given her long term commitment and relentless enthusiasm to improve the lives of people with chronic lung disease through her educational, academic and advocacy activities”. Monica’s original clinical research interest developed when working in general practice in the UK as a nurse practitioner in long term conditions management, at the same time she was employed as a part-time Medical Research Council (MRC) Research Nurse undertaking trials in general practice. In 2013 Monica was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to nurse education and appointed a Fellow of the Queens Nurses Institute. Monica has been involved in several National and International Committees and she is currently on an ATS group reviewing respiratory nursing research priorities. She continues an active research interest through her various scholarly activities and has been appointed in 2015 as Knowledge Exchange Lead for the AUK Centre for Collaborative Research. The current Chair of Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists (ARNS) Dr Matthew Hodson MBE said: “We would like to congratulate Monica on this ERS Fellowship Award, a very well deserved and fantastic recognition of her tireless work in championing not only respiratory care for patients but as a former nurse herself the role of and value of respiratory nurses specialists in patient care, Monica is an inspiration to us all – we warmly congratulate her on this fellowship.”
Professor Aziz Sheikh, Director of the Centre: “This is a wonderful and thoroughly deserved achievement. Monica is a fantastic ambassador for respiratory research – both within the UK and across Europe more widely. As the Knowledge Exchange Lead for the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Monica plays an important role and has brought with her heaps of enthusiasm and strategic direction – and this award is certainly recognition of that – well done Monica!”
Stephen Gaduzo, Primary Care Respiratory Society UK (PCRS-UK) Executive Chair commented: “Monica has been at the forefront of striving for high standards of patient care, delivered by the best trained, most appropriately qualified healthcare professionals, with high levels of patient involvement for many years. She has done this on a national and international platform, while retaining the personal touch that has earned her the love, affection and respect of her colleagues. On behalf of PCRS-UK, and on a personal level, I’d like to offer my congratulations to the many good wishes that will be coming Monica’s way.”
To see the current list of FERS and to find out more about the award visit: http://www.ersnet.org/fellowship-of-ers-fers.html