A nurse from Ottery has been nominated for a national award for his work improving organ donation in the UK.

Andrew Broderick (pictured), an NHS blood and transplant specialist nurse, has been named as a finalist in the 2018 RCNi nurse awards, the country’s most prestigious accolade in the nursing sector.

The awards celebrate nurses who, every day, go above and beyond to save lives, provide outstanding care for patients and transform nursing practice for the better.

Ottery resident Andrew took a secondment three years ago to investigate the severe shortage of organ donation.

His work developing an organ donor assessment and screen initiative saw a huge improvement in the system and resulted in a 34 per cent increase in the number of patients referred for organ donation and a UK record for donor numbers following circulatory death.

The RCNi received a record number of nominations for this year’s competition before whittling down more than 700 entries to a final five for each of the 12 categories.

Andrew, who is a finalist in the ‘Innovations In Your Speciality’ category, said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted. The awards celebrate where nurses have made a real difference in healthcare. Celebrating success supports the continued development of nursing practice, champions nursing as a wonderful career choice and aids communication and sharing or practice developments both nationally and internationally.”

Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Hotel, London, on July 4.

Rachel Armitage, managing director at RCNi, said: “The panel of professional judges voted Andrew as a finalist because of his incredible story and because of the impact he has had on the organ donations in the UK. With the nursing shortage high on the national agenda, it’s important that we give nurses like Andrew the recognition they deserve.”