Western Trust celebrates 'unsung heroes' ahead of Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) Day

The Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) is shining a spotlight on the "unsung heroes" of the North West Cancer Centre to mark National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day (16 March 2026).

National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Day has been developed to highlight and celebrate the hugely important role that the cancer nursing workforce provides in support of patients on a daily basis.

Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists are highly skilled professionals who provide expert care and support to patients throughout their cancer journey. They also bring a huge amount of expertise, compassion and leadership to cancer services and play a key role in coordinating care, advocating for patients and making sure each person receives the right support for their individual needs.

Speaking ahead of National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist day, Lead Nurse, Sinead McElwee said: “In the Western Trust, we have 32 cancer CNSs working across nine tumor sites including lung, breast, colorectal, hematology, gynecology, urology, upper gastrointestinal, skin, head and neck. We know that a cancer diagnosis is a life changing moment that impacts on many aspects of a person’s life.

"Our Clinical Nurse Specialists across these tumour sites offer support to a patient from the beginning of their cancer journey, helping them understand their diagnosis, navigate treatment and feel supported throughout their care.”

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Sinead continued: “On National Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Day, our dedicated CNS teams in the NWCC deserve to be celebrated. Their compassion, expertise and commitment make a real difference to patients and families every day, and we thank them for the impact they continue to make across our services.”

On this day of celebration of the CNS role, we spoke to some of our colleagues:

Sean McCartney and Noeleen Britton, Skin CNSs said: “As Clinical Nurse Specialists, we have the unique opportunity to establish trusted relationships with patients from the beginning.

"This openness encourages patients to express their fears and concerns early, allowing us to provide comprehensive, holistic care”.

Breast CNS Team Lead, Karen McAteer said: “Everyone in our team goes above and beyond every day for their patients. The Breast CNS team try to support each other the best we can and we work as a team. Caring for our patients and ensuring they have a smooth treatment journey motivates us to do our best every day. We are continually inspired by the patients’ strength and courage.”

Skin CNSs (L-R) Sean McCartney and Noeleen Britton.

To be a part of National Cancer CNS day on 16th March, support and follow the campaign on social media #NationalCancerCNSDay