Contact your local council member …
Claire Barber
President
Base: Consultant Practitioner Nurse – Head, Neck & Thyroid Cancers and Long-Term Altered Airways
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Email: clairebarber2@nhs.net
Qualifications
Registered General Nurse
Diploma in Nursing
Independent Non-Medical Prescriber
BSc (Hons) – Recordable Specialist Practitioner in Head & Neck
MSc Advanced Clinical Healthcare Practice
Key Responsibilities
I am a multifaceted and strategically focused Nurse Consultant, delivering advanced, autonomous clinical practice and specialist decision-making at the highest level. I have the privilege of leading and mentoring a team of exceptional specialist nurses, whose drive, passion, and dedication continually inspire excellence in patient care.
As joint service lead for the Head & Neck and Thyroid MDTs, I coordinate complex, multidisciplinary care pathways to ensure seamless, high-quality patient management. I am an authorised budget holder for two separate accounts, ensuring financial stewardship, strategic allocation of resources and reinvestment to maximise service efficiency and patient benefit.
Education, mentorship, and professional development are central to my role. I deliver training for university programmes, mentor CNSs and medical students and lead targeted workshops and airway training to hospital, community, and private sector healthcare professionals. Through these activities, I drive knowledge transfer, professional development and clinical excellence.
I am proud to sit on the Council of the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists (BAHNO) and, through my membership with the National Head and Neck Cancer Coalition, actively shape national policy, drive quality improvement initiatives and influence macro-level decisions affecting cancer services across the UK.
Professional Values
Patients always come first (then the service, then my staff, then me – in that order)
My team is an extension of my family, and their wellbeing and success are paramount
Lifelong learning and continuous professional development are non-negotiable
A Snapshot of Who I Am
I am honest, driven and always strive to do the best I can
I live on a farm with my husband and a variety of animals, including cows, sheep, goats, pigs, geese, chickens, dogs and a tortoise
My happiest moments are outdoor adventures with my granddaughter, discovering the world one puddle at a time.
Read more
Robyn Payne
President Elect
Base: CNS, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Email: robyn.payne1@nhs.net
I have been working as a Head and Neck clinical Nurse Specialist since 2019, developing a service for patients with advanced, metastatic and incurable Head, Neck & Thyroid Cancer within Sussex. My experience across multiple sectors in nursing and the NHS alongside my passion for case management, physical assessment, research and psychology allow me to support patients with their complex and varied needs at such a difficult time- supporting them and their loved ones to achieve the best quality of life possible.
I am a non-medical prescriber and run 2 nurse led clinics to monitor and support patients on systemic anti-cancer treatments and surveillance pathways.
Winning the Macmillan Quality Improvement award in 2021, for developing these services and clinics, is something I am hugely proud of. Supporting those living with and beyond cancer is an area of nursing I have long had a passion.
I worked as a District Nurse/ Clinical Nurse Lead, from 2014-2021 and led 3 teams of community nurses to provide excellent care, as well as deliver it myself. I found this a huge privilege and enjoyed leading my teams immensely.
I also worked closely with the Cancer Service’s Commissioning Manager as a Macmillan Primary Care Nurse to facilitate the implementation of the recovery package within Brighton and Hove, from 2017-2019. I relished the opportunity to educate up- skill and promote the local Primary Care teams to influence and improve Nursing and Cancer care at a political level.
Jo Greedy
Secretariat
Base: Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton
Email: joanne.greedy@somersetft.nhs.uk
Base: Taunton and Somerset Foundation Trust, Musgrove Park Hospital. Taunton.
Bahnon Representative Jo has been an active member of South West Bahnon since 2002 as treasurer to the group and amalgamated her involvement and commitment to national level by joining Bahnon in 2016. This has enabled her to build and strengthen her service through networking, study and sharing good practice improving service delivery for those in her care. Jo has naturally stepped down to vice chair in February 2024 after chairing national BAHNON for 3 years forging links with BAHNO and the Head and Neck Coalition. This is a very privileged post to hold and is a great achievement in an ever changing head and neck nursing career.
BAHNON has helped Jo build and continue developing her service through networking, study and sharing good practice. The BAHNON committee are a great group of professionals who are likeminded, sharing a great sense of humour and commitment.
Hayley Steptoe
Treasurer
Macmillan Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist
Base: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Email: hayley.steptoe@nhs.net
Qualifications
MSC Advanced Clinical Practice. (Passed and just found out today😁)
BSC Advanced Diploma in Maxillofacial Surgery.
The National Diploma in Primary Ear Care for Practitioners.
Non-medical Prescriber.
DIPHE Adult Nursing.
National Diploma in Dental Nursing.
Oral Hygiene Education Certificate.
Counselling level II and Advanced Communication.
Hayley started her career as a Dental Nurse 2001, she loved the speciality and went on to adult nursing, working as a Staff Nurse, Max Fax Sister and then as Macmillan Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist. Hayley has spent her whole nursing career in Head and Neck cancer, she has a very hand’s autonomous clinical role at present, seeing follow-up cancer surveillance patients, alongside the new patient workload, and micro-suction, complex wound management/sharp debridement, tracheostomy care, nurse-led thyroid cancer follows up and she can also prescribe.
Hayley’s specialist interest is inequality in cancer care having recently completed an MSC research dissertation into the disparity of Clinical Nurse Specialists per patient, per cancer site, comparing lung, bowel and H&N cancer sites. Most recently Hayley has been aiding the East Midlands H&N Cancer Network in exploring regional variances and how best practice might be achieved, improvement of pathways, patient outcomes and ultimately the quality of the care provided across Derby, Nottingham, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, she also sits on the Royal College of Nursing ENT/Maxillofacial steering committee. Hayley very much looks forward to joining the BAHNON committee in 2023 having worked with The Swallows and The Butterfly charities in the past.
Maria Smith
Joint Conference Secretary
Base: CNS, Royal Alexandra Hospital/Queen Elizabeth University Hospital – NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Email: maria.smith2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
I have been a Macmillan Head & Neck Cancer CNS working within NHS Greater and Glasgow & Clyde for the past 19 years. Since developing this role within the Clyde area I have gained extensive experience in supporting Head & Neck Cancer patients throughout their disease trajectory. More recently, I have helped develop on-line Head & Neck Cancer teaching modules, which are now available on the LearnPro platform.
I am also actively involved in developing and updating Head & Neck cancer related policies, guidelines and patient information which keeps her focused on improving patient care.
I have been an active member of the BAHNON Committee since December 2013 and took up the position as Chair in February 2020. As part of this role I represent BAHNON as representative on the BAHNO committee. This challenging role has allowed her to network further afield sharing good practice as well as continuing to provide the best level of service for this patient group.
Andrea Nelson
Joint Conference Secretary
Base: Lead Nurse, Northwick Park Hospital
Email: andrea.nelson@nhs.net
I have worked at Northwick Park hospital in surgery since 1992, across all levels of the nursing establishment. I joined the Macmillan team as an oncology CNS in 2001 and then in 2004 became the first head and neck CNS. I have recently been promoted in to the lead nurse role for head and neck. I have an excellent understanding and insight in to the patient’s pathway and support patients from the point of diagnosis.
My previous management and leadership experience as a ward manger of a head and neck and urology surgical unit and out-patients’, together with the team leader experience that I gained as a CNS has been invaluable. It has provided me with the skills, practical experience and confidence to take on this role. I have managed staff at all levels and led an extremely dynamic and challenging unit. I also believe that my experience would allow me to support and contribute to the committee.
I have personal experience of Peer Review following an invitation to perform an external peer review of the head and neck cancer services in Doha (Qatar). The review took place in February 2015 and was part of the National Program of Cancer Peer Review. This valuable experience provided me with an insight and experience in the process as a reviewer. I have also had participation in local peer review process
I am currently contributing to the London Cancer Alliance (LCA) Head and Neck Nursing project. Focusing on head and neck specialist nursing, it will explore complex work loads and identify resources required to deliver high quality, efficient care.
I am a very experienced, confident and dedicated surgical head and neck CNS with a wealth of experience and knowledge who is working in a Regional Head and Neck unit. I value the opportunity of being part of the committee and feel strongly that I contribute well to this group.
Andrew Fishburn
Joint Conference Secretary
Base: Macmillan Nurse Consultant, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Preston Hospital
Email: andrew.fishburn@lthtr.nhs.uk
Andrew Fishburn – Macmillan Nurse Consultant in Head & Neck. RN, NMP, MSc, Post Grad Dip
Andrew has worked through his entire nursing career in Head & Neck cancer since qualifying as a Registered Nurse in 1994. Andrew joined Lancashire Teaching Hospitals in 1998 and has developed the Head and Neck nursing service in the Trust to include many nurse-led / multidisciplinary services such as the Thyroid Cancer Follow-up clinic, Head & Neck Pre & Post Treatment clinics, Oncology On-treatment Review Clinics, Head & Neck Oncology Follow-Up Clinics, Specialist Tracheostomy MDT, and prosthetic speech valve clinics.
Andrew has worked extensively at local, regional and national level, including co-authoring the nursing data-set for the national head and neck oncology database (DaHNO). Andrew has also served as Vice-Chair and then Chair of the British Association of Head & Neck Oncology Nurses (BAHNON). Andrew has presented papers at many local, national and international conferences. He teaches regularly at the University of Salford on the pre-registration nursing degree.
Andrew has a particular interest in quality of life for head and neck cancer patients and undertook his MSc dissertation in quality of life in the laryngectomy patient. In March 2021 Andrew had his first peer-reviewed publication in the British Journal of Nursing regarding quality of patient experience in the nurse led Thyroid Cancer Follow-up Clinic. He has also contributed to other journals and the Oxford Handbook of Oncology Nursing.
Along with John de Carpentier, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Andrew established the Rapid Access Neck Lump Clinic at Preston which was the first in the country to have nurses performing Fine Needle Aspiration for Cytology on neck lumps, and with which they jointly won the Trust’s Quality Award.
In November 2020 Andrew commenced in the Macmillan Nurse Consultant in Head & Neck post – believed to be the first head and neck nurse consultant in the country. He leads a team of Macmillan Nurse Specialists in Head & Neck and a Head & Neck Cancer Support Worker.
Andrew believes in a healthy work/life balance and in his spare time he enjoys a busy family life, photography, and unaccompanied sacred music from the Renaissance.
Jo Langridge
Audit and Governance Lead
Base: Head and Neck CNS, RGN, BSc (hons) Nursing, NMP, BAHNON Audit and Governance Lead – Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Email: joanne.langridge@stockport.nhs.uk
Phone: 07525886501 or 0161 419 5411 (x 115411)
Prior to becoming a Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2016 I worked and gained experience in a number of different areas within healthcare; both clinical and organisational; including medicolegal and governance.
In 2016 I became the first full time substantive Head and Neck CNS at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. Initially as a lone CNS I developed the head and neck service at Stockport, providing a high standard of care and support for our patients. My passion, personal and professional drive, determination and resilience have been crucial in developing and upholding a high quality service.
I am involved with patients from referral into Stockport on a cancer pathway, providing support for them and their families through the diagnostic process and with treatment decision making. Following completion of treatment my support is available throughout the surveillance period.
As an independent practitioner and prescriber, I have developed a virtual thyroid cancer surveillance clinic for low risk stratified patients. Surveillance investigations are performed local to the patients and follow up surveillance appointments are conducted via telephone.
In 2020 I developed the nurse led surveillance clinic for low risk stratified head and neck patients, following completion of oncological and surgical treatment. With completion of clinical skills study and flexible nasoendoscopy competencies, the nurse led surveillance clinic includes clinical examination and with support from a cancer support worker, provides a holistic approach to surveillance patient care.
2021 I launched the daily triage process for all 2 week wait head and neck referrals to Stockport. This has allowed for the development of the straight to test pathway for lateral neck lumps and the inception of the ‘one stop neck lump clinic’ for pathological neck lumps. The pathway from triage to ‘one stop neck lump clinic’ has been regarded by Greater Manchester (GM) Cancer and nationally by GIRFT as a Gold Standard pathway. GM Pathway Board meeting 2024 a recommendation was made for other trusts in GM to adopt this pathway.
I am an active member of the Greater Manchester Cancer Pathway Board and have been instrumental in developing the regional ENT 2ww proforma, to allow improved documentation and information sharing.
I have been instrumental in developing improvements in the care of patients with altered airways at Stockport as part of a multi-disciplinary working group; developing discharge pathways, supporting the training of clinical staff in altered airway care.
In 2022 following successful recruitment my team has developed, I am now supported by an Associate Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist, a cancer support worker and a cancer navigator. This has allowed future development and sustainability of the head and neck cancer service within Stockport.
In March 2024 I was invited to join BAHNON as a Council member, I am very excited to be part of an organisation with a wealth of knowledge and experience, who are passionate about the care provided to head and neck cancer patients.
Sian Parker
Website and Social Media Secretary
Base: Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist for Head and Neck, Lung and Gynaecology Cancers
Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Email: sian.parker2@nhs.net
I have worked within Head and Neck since I qualified in 2010. Having completed my final placement on the Head and Neck Surgery ward at UCLH, I quickly found myself drawn to this incredible patient group and was lucky enough to be given my first nursing job there. I enjoyed developing my knowledge of altered airway care and complex wound management, as well as developing my skills in holistic and psychological care for patients and their families. I was eventually seconded into the post of Deputy Sister for a year, before embarking on my first Macmillan junior CNS post in South Manchester in 2014. Here I looked after the OMFS cohort of patients and implemented a pre and post treatment HNA clinic. After a year, I returned to UCLH as a CNS, and was able to further develop my knowledge about oncological treatments for Head and Neck Cancers.
Working as part of a large CNS team, I also took on a role teaching Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy care as part of the Trust’s Altered Airway Study Day, and helped to pilot the Macmillan eHNA as part of a joint pre-treatment counselling clinic, run with dietician and SLT colleagues. In addition, I also helped to facilitate the Laryngectomy Club with my fellow SLT colleague, and together we supported the group to host a workshop for local GP practices, designed to educate them on the many changes that this patient group experience after laryngectomy surgery, and how they can best help to promote and maintain autonomy and independence. In 2018, I was involved in a pilot project where the CNS team began triaging all neck lump referrals in a straight to test pathway, requesting US imaging to be done within a week of referral. Early results indicated that this reduced the length of time from referral to diagnosis (for both malignant and benign conditions) by approximately a week.
In Summer 2020, following a year of maternity leave, I undertook a new part-time role at Epsom and St Helier hospital as the first ever Head, Neck and Thyroid CNS for the trust, and I was able to build an entirely new service. This role also gave me the opportunity of experiencing the diagnostic pathway at a DGH instead of a big cancer centre as I had been used to. During my first week in post I was signed up to take part in a Quality Improvement project with NHSI/E, which was invaluable in helping me to gain a much more in-depth perspective on service implementation, quality improvement, as well as sustainability, and more importantly on making sure that services are co-produced with patient involvement. Eventually over the course of the year I was able to increase my hours by providing temporary cross cover to the Gynaecology service, and in August 2020 I took on the full time role of Lead CNS for Head, Neck and Thyroid, Lung and Gynae Oncology, managing a team of two gynae-onc CNS’s, three lung-onc CNS’s and a Macmillan Support Worker.
In June 2022, I launched a nurse-led telephone triage clinic, believed to be the first of its kind in the country. This meant triaging all new 2WW referrals for suspected Head and Neck Cancers (incorporating all larynx/pharynx, ear/nose/sinus, oral cavity, salivary and thyroid referrals) without bias from prior clinician triaging, using the stratified symptom-based risk calculator for Head and Neck Cancer. As the only Head and Neck CNS at the trust this was a huge piece of work involving clinicians, radiologists, directors and the lead cancer nurse for the trust. For the first six months of this project I was working single-handedly to run the telephone clinic five days a week, on top of my clinical and managerial duties, before eventually training one of my gynaecology CNS’s to provide me with some cross cover. In the first eight weeks of the telephone triage clinic being up and running I spoke with over 280 patients, and identified 19 cancers, three of which were non-H&N cancers. More recently I presented a poster at the BAHNO detailing the success of the nurse-led triage. I am extremely proud of this work, and particularly of how it can improve patient experience of being referred on a suspected cancer pathway. Being so involved at the front end of the pathway has also helped me to identify which patients are highly suspicious of having cancer, and has meant that I have been able to intervene and offer support at an earlier point.
As the CNS service at ESTH has grown over the last three years, I have been able to successfully prove the need for and recruit a second H&N CNS. I have worked hard to raise the profile of Head and Neck Cancer within the trusts that I have worked for, and I am enthusiastic and passionate about working with this amazing cohort of patients. I am so excited to be a part of BAHNON, working to further improve care for those people with Head and Neck Cancers.
Sally Lane
Research Lead
Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in Head and Neck
Base: Liverpool Head and Neck Centre
Email: sally.lane@liverpoolft.nhs.uk
Qualifications
I began my head and neck journey in 1991, after completing the ENB AI5 Maxillofacial Nursing Course. Working as a Ward Sister in the Largest Head and Neck Centre in Europe. Working alongside the Senior Consultants we were able to develop National Standards and Care Pathways for Head and Neck Cancer Patients. This has gone on to establish an National and international reputation and I have helped host many visitors from overseas.
I left head and neck for several years and pursued my other passion Palliative and End of Life Care.
I returned to Head and Neck as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, initially taking the lead in Palliative Care, but then developing the role more generically.
I have also previously served on the BAHNON Committee in the early years of its growth and was involved in the initial talks of the CNS role in DAHNO. I am the CNS Representative for the Steering Group of the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC) which was set up as a collaborative between Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, The Walton Centre, and University of Liverpool. I have been an active member of the Cancer Peer Review Team within the Northwest and have been involved in carrying out Peer Reviews all over the Country.
I have continued to develop my key role within the Specialist Head and Neck MDT team over the years, setting up Multi-professional Pre-Treatment Clinics for Surgical Patients, Nurse Led SVR Clinics and Tracheostomy Clinics. I have helped commence and run our Head and Neck Support Group HaNC and I am involved in the Research Forum which helps to support LHNC Research Portfolio.
I have worked at Local, Regional, National, and International level helping support and promote Head and Neck PCI and Quality of Life issues. I have hosted International Visitors to the Head and Neck Centre and have developed an education programme for them. I have presented at many national conferences on Head and Neck and Enhanced Supportive Care in Head and Neck. I have also been one of the key organizers and promoters of the Liverpool Quality of Life Conference along with Prof SN Rogers over many years. I am currently involved in the PET/Neck 2 Trial and Palliative Partners in Head and Neck.
As clinical educator within the LHNC I am involved in weekly teaching with 4th year Medical Students and Core Trainees on altered airway management, difficult conversations, and End of Life Care. I also provide training and support to Student Nurses from University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moore’s University and Edge Hill University. I have also co coauthored many journal articles on PCI, Quality of Life and contributed to Clinical Nurse Specialist Guidance in Head and Neck Cancer – United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary guidance.
My passion for Palliative Care in Head and Neck Cancer has not waned over my career. I am now involved in the development of a new post within the team for a CNS in Enhanced Supportive Care – Head and Neck.
I work hard and play hard. – May weekends find me up in the Lakeland fells, or exploring Liverpool and surrounding areas. I am involved in a local Musical Theatre Group and even though I have hung up my tap shoes I still join in [productions in the Ensemble.
I love travelling and go back to Australia (second home and family) whenever I can.
I am passionate and driven about raising the profile of Head and NECK Cancer Nursing whenever I can. CNSs sometimes are the ‘go to ‘people to fill in gaps in many services and I am driven to ensure that this is not the case.
As CNS’s we are humbled daily by our patients and their loved ones, we act as advocate, support, mentors, and educators in so many ways. Their ‘journey is a long and winding road and we walk beside them at their invite.
We DO make a difference.
Amy Gough
Thyroid Lead
Macmillan National Thyroid CNS, Thyroid MDT Lead
Base: University Hospitals Sussex
Email: Amy.gough2@nhs.net
I have been a qualified nurse for 20 years, with 14 years’ experience as a Head, Neck and Thyroid Cancer Nurse Specialist. Early in my career, I recognised a gap in the thyroid cancer pathway and chose to specialise in this tumour site—a field I remain deeply passionate about, particularly due to the unique challenges faced by this patient group.
Throughout my career at University Hospitals Sussex, I have developed improved pathways, clinical guidance, and a nurse-led thyroid service. In recognition of my expertise, I was appointed the National Lead Thyroid Nurse, where I support other trusts in enhancing their thyroid cancer services and improving patient care. I speak regularly at national conferences and have created an educational module hosted on our hospital website. My team was honoured with a National Macmillan Excellence Award in 2021 for maintaining outstanding service delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I began my nursing career in colorectal surgery before becoming a sister on a Head and Neck ward, later progressing into my role as a Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist. I am also proud to have been among the first two nurses within UHSUSSEX to be appointed as an MDT Lead for a specific tumour site—an innovative position in which I have successfully served for the past two years. Beyond my thyroid specialist role, I am a Cancer Lead overseeing the Lung and Neurology teams, supporting service development and promoting high-quality cancer care across multiple pathways.
My work with Macmillan extends to producing educational videos and, most recently, participating in a documentary highlighting my career and passion for thyroid cancer to support national fundraising efforts. With a strong commitment to education, I am currently completing a Master’s-level programme to become a Professional Nurse Advocate, building upon my mentorship qualification gained in 2011.
I consider it a privilege to care for patients during the most challenging moments of their lives. I am dedicated to ensuring their journey is as smooth, supported, and compassionate as possible, and I continually strive to advance services to meet their needs.
