Chief Nursing Officer Visits VCC

19 January 2025

Velindre Cancer Service was proud to start the new year by welcoming Sue Tranka, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales (CNO), and Gillian Knight, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer (DCNO), to Velindre Cancer Centre.

This was a valuable opportunity for Sue and Gill to meet a number of our amazing nurses and for her to hear first-hand about the fantastic nurse-led clinical, research, innovation and professional developments within the service. A visit to the new hospital site also provided an opportunity to discuss the opportunities the new hospital brings for the region and Wales, and the clinical transformation that we are embarking on in preparation for the move.

The day began with an exhibition of posters created by our nursing teams over the past year, highlighting innovations in nursing practice and quality improvement initiatives. The nurses behind these projects joined the discussion, sharing insights and findings with the CNO and DCNO, and exploring how we can continue to enhance care within Velindre Cancer Service. This was a proud moment to reaffirm our commitment to continuous professional development as a cornerstone of our culture.

Due to time limitations, we were unfortunately not able to visit all areas at this time, but future visits will be arranged. Visits were undertaken to the First Floor Ward, SACT, the Clinical Trials Research Unit, and Supportive Care, where Sue and Gill had an opportunity to talk to frontline managers to listen and learn more about their work. Sue was very impressed by the dedication, passion and professionalism that she observed from everyone. The visit concluded at the construction site of the new Velindre Cancer Centre (nVCC), offering an opportunity to discuss with the project team how the nVCC will help deliver world-class cancer care for Wales.

Sue Tranka, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, said:

"I wanted to thank everyone for hosting such a valuable visit for myself and Gill. We were extremely grateful for the time, openness, and warmth shown throughout the morning. It was a real pleasure to meet so many senior nurses and to see first-hand the innovation, commitment, and professionalism across services. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to explore current services and to discuss plans for cancer services as you transition to the new cancer Centre.

We very much appreciated the opportunity to discuss how services are evolving, including ambitions for care closer to home, treatment models, and how nurse-led research and innovation continues to develop. It was encouraging to see strong nursing leadership and clear alignment of future service plans with strategic direction."

Emma James, Director of Nursing, AHPs and Health Science at VCS, said:

"We were delighted to welcome Sue Tranka, the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, to Velindre Cancer Service. Her visit was an amazing opportunity to showcase the dedication and professionalism of our nursing teams, who work tirelessly to provide outstanding care for patients. It was also a chance to share our research, innovative approaches and discuss how we can continue to lead the way in cancer care across Wales. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Welsh Government as we move closer to the opening of our new Velindre Cancer Centre in 2027"

Nicola Williams, Executive Director of Nursing, AHPs and Health Science, said:

"I was so pleased to that we were able to show first hand to the Chief and Deputy Chief Nursing Officers for Wales what an amazing team of nurses and nurse leaders we have here at Velindre providing great care with dedication, enthusiasm, warmth and compassion. As a result of the visit there are already a number of collaborative opportunities emerging. A big thank you to everyone involved in co-ordinating the day and who took time form their busy day and patients to talk to Sue and Gill."