A woman from Oldham has been given the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse (QN) in recognition of her work supporting people with dementia and their families.

Pam Kehoe, 59, who works as a consultant admiral nurse at Dementia UK and lives in Delph, was given the award by the community nursing charity The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI). Pam has been a Mental Health Nurse for more than thirty years and has had a special interest in working with people affected by dementia and their families since 1992.

She has held a specialist posts as an admiral nurse since 2002, in both a community setting and more recently in an acute hospital where she was the consultant admiral nurse.

Pam joined Dementia UK as the lead admiral nurse for Clinics and Awareness raising in November 2017, moving to the Consultant Admiral Nurse Team a year later.

Pam said: “I am delighted to be awarded with the Queen’s Nurse award by QNI. Every day, I feel privileged to be able to work alongside families affected by dementia and to be welcomed into their lives.

“Throughout my career, I have developed a real understanding of how to support people who are living with this devastating condition, and those important to them in a meaningful way.

“My passion for person and relationship-centred care has enabled me to make a real impact in people’s lives. I am grateful for this award and will strive to continue to achieve in my profession.”

Nurses who hold the Queen’s Nurse (QN) title benefit from developmental workshops, bursaries, networking opportunities, and a shared professional identity. Dr Hilda Hayo, chief admiral nurse and chief executive at Dementia UK, said: “I’d like to congratulate Pam on being awarded for her achievements in the field of dementia care. We are all incredibly proud to see Pam be given the title of Queen’s Nurse.

“Pam started her Admiral Nurse career over 20 years ago in the Manchester team. She has been at the forefront of many new developments including post-diagnostic support groups, carers groups, Admiral Nurse clinics, and awareness.

“Pam fully deserves the title of Queen's Nurse for her work supporting people with dementia and their families over many years."

For advice or support around dementia, visit dementiauk.org/get-support for information and to find out how to access the charity’s national Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline and Clinics services.