Liz Darlison
Liz Darlison, consultant nurse at Leicester’s Hospitals and Head of Services for the national Mesothelioma UK charity, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List.
Liz Darlison works at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, focusing on the treatment and care of mesothelioma patients. Liz established Mesothelioma UK in 2004 and continues to lead this national charity for asbestos-related cancer, based in Leicester.
The UK has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world, with more than 2,700 people diagnosed each year and sadly this number continues to rise. There is currently no known cure for the disease and prognosis is poor, with only around half of patients living past one year after diagnosis.
Commenting on the award of her MBE, Liz Darlison said: “I was absolutely delighted to be awarded with an MBE, not just for myself but would also like to recognise that this is a wonderful achievement for Leicester’s Hospitals, nursing and Mesothelioma UK.
“It is testament to the continued work of our wonderful NHS and shows that nursing is an amazing career. Leicester’s Hospitals is an excellent employer that developed me and allowed the charity to get started, and to be awarded an MBE is also a testament to Mesothelioma UK, our supporters and team, who all combine to help this amazing national charity to do what it does so well, demonstrating dedication to treating and supporting patients with this dreadful, avoidable disease that should never have happened on the scale it has in the UK.”
Carolyn Fox, Chief Nurse at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “On behalf of everyone at Leicester’s Hospitals, I’d like to congratulate Liz on being awarded an MBE. This is a fantastic achievement for Liz who is dedicated to her work both at Glenfield Hospital and for Mesothelioma UK, the charity she established, and this recognition is well deserved.”
