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Palliative care consultant nominated for prestigious award

Mark Taubert smiles outside Velindre Cancer Centre.

9 March 2023

A palliative care consultant at Velindre Cancer Centre has been nominated for a prestigious St David Award.

Professor Mark Taubert was nominated in the Critical Worker (Key Worker) category, which recognises an individual, team or group in Wales working in health and social care, the third sector, the emergency services, local government, education or childcare.

Every year, it recognises people 'who have gone the extra mile to provide an exceptional service to the people of Wales,' and his nomination comes for his work in palliative care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.


On being nominated, Professor Taubert said:

“It means a lot and I’m very grateful that a colleague put me forward for this.

“People don’t always think of us in palliative care as a critical worker; sometimes we’re with cancer patients for several years and sometimes we discharge them from our services. It doesn’t always mean the end of life.

“We all work very closely together in Velindre, and palliative care thrives on multi-professional collaboration. The admin staff, nursing team, doctors, pharmacists, OTs, social workers – and many more – do a fantastic job. We couldn’t do it without each other.”

 

Lesley Radley, the Patient/Carer Representative on the NHS Wales Advance & Future Care Planning Strategy Group (which Professor Taubert chairs) said:

“I have known and worked with Mark for many years and had input to his work from a patient/carer perspective.

“His care and compassion in a difficult area is exceptional for the patient and their nearest and dearest.”


The nominations were announced today (Thursday 9 March) by the First Minister, Mark Drakeford MS, in a special ceremony. The First Minister said:

“I am proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the awards and this year’s incredible finalists.

“[They] have shown extraordinary acts of bravery and determination. We are very fortunate they call Wales home.”


The Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 20 April 2023 and nominations are already open for the St David Awards 2024.

 

About the Awards

The St David Awards are the national awards of Wales.

Each year there are 10 St David Awards, the first 9 of which are nominated for by the public: Business; Bravery; Community Spirit; Critical Worker (Key Worker); Culture; Environment; Innovation, Science and Technology; Sport; Young Person; First Minister's Special Award.

The finalists and winners are decided upon by the First Minister of the Welsh Government and his advisers.

For more information, go to gov.wales/st-david-awards.

Velindre University NHS Trust, Unit 2,Charnwood Court, Parc Nantgarw, Nantgarw, Cardiff, CF15 7QZ
Tel: 029 2019 6161