Hepatology Nursing Team
The Hepatology Specialist Nursing team, based at Derriford Hospital currently comprises of:
Amanda Clements - Hepatology Consultant Nurse
Amanda qualified as a RN from Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, School of Nursing, in 1986. She gained experience in medical and surgical nursing both in the UK and Hong Kong. On her return to the UK she specialised in addiction nursing before joining the Hepatology department at Derriford Hospital in 2001. Amanda has undertaken the RCN accredited advanced nurse practitioner course, MSc in advanced healthcare practice and has been an independent non-medical prescriber for over 10 years. She has completed her post graduate certificate in education (PGCE). Amanda also has experience of advanced clinical practice within primary care and the emergency department.
In her role as Nurse Consultant she acts as the strategic and corporate lead for all aspects of Hepatology nursing. She is the lead for end of life care and the advanced care planning pathway. She also acts as the safeguarding champion for the hepatology team to embed the importance of a trauma informed / family focused approaches for all hepatology patients. She also provides the nurse leadership for the IQILS accreditation process.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) PG Dip, MSc, NMP, PGCE.
Percy Hendry - Hepatology Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Percy graduated from Plymouth University with Dip HE Nursing in 2000. Her first staff nurse post on the Gastroenterology / Hepatology ward ignited her passion for the speciality. Enjoying ward work Percy continued to gain experience alongside studying at degree level and successfully achieved BSc in Health Studies. In 2009 she became Senior Sister of the ward demonstrating excellent leadership skills ensuring the delivery of high quality patient care at all times.
In 2014 Percy fulfilled a six month secondment in clinical site management co-ordinating clinical activity from all disciplines across the hospital. Following this post she returned to direct patient care and trained as a nurse endoscopist and successfully achieved Joint Advisory Group accreditation to provide diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Percy joined the Hepatology nursing team as a trainee advanced clinical practitioner in November 2017. The 3 year training programme will blend a Masters in advanced Professional Practice with practical experience to enable autonomous practice ensuring the provision of high quality, holistic care to hepatology patients.
Qualifications: BSc, Dip HE, NMP.
Katie Ramos - Lead Liver Transplant Coordinator
Katie qualified from St George’s Hospital in 2000. After a year working on a Gastroenterology / Medical ward she started work in the Liver Intensive Care Unit looking after people critically unwell with liver failure or following liver transplant. She gained experience in the process of organ donation and transplant, as part of the liver retrieval team and became a sister on the Liver Intensive Care Unit. Following this she became a liver recipient transplant coordinator at King's College Hospital, coordinating the care of patients throughout the transplant process, including organising the transplant.
Katie took up her post at Derriford Hospital in 2009. Her role has developed and now she coordinates the care of patients throughout the transplant process both pre and post-transplant. She has a key role in assessing patients for liver transplant, educating them about the process, managing their care whilst on the wait list and post-transplant, and continuing the education for a healthy post-transplant lifestyle. She is currently undertaking an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), NMP.
Laura Bates - Viral Hepatitis Clinical Nurse Specialist
Laura graduated from Plymouth University with a Diploma in Nursing in 2006. She worked on the planned investigation unit at Derriford Hospital for a few years as a registered Nurse. In 2009 Laura joined the hepatology nursing team as a viral hepatitis clinical nurse specialist. Laura studied at degree level from 2009 and now has her degree in Nursing. Laura facilitates the hepatitis B and C monitoring and treatment programmes available to patients at Derriford Hospital and Viral Hepatitis outreach services within the Plymouth area. Laura provides patients, their families and carers with viral hepatitis support and education about their condition. In 2018 Laura successfully passed her Non-Medical Prescribing course and is now a Non-Medical Prescriber.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), Dip HE, NMP.
Victoria Ashton - Nurse Specialist in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Vicky started working in the Trust in 1995 as a Nursing Auxiliary where she gained experience in Medicine. This gave her the drive to progress further in Nursing. Vicky successfully qualified as an RN in 2007 initially working on the acute admissions unit followed by day case surgery, Oncology and on the PIU. During this time on PIU Vicky become interested in Hepatology Services and was fortunate to join the Hepatology Nursing team as a HCC Specialist Nurse.
Vicky’s role is to help co-ordinate care, support you and your families through diagnosis, treatment and be a familiar face.
Qualifications: Dip HE.
Holly Johns - Hepatology Specialist Nurse
Holly qualified in 2016 from Kingston and St Georges with a BSc Hons in Adult Nursing. During her time there she gained experience on the Medical wards, HDU and ICU. She also undertook a placement overseas in Vietnam.
After qualifying she worked as a nurse in Radiology, before moving to Plymouth to work in Neurosurgery. She subsequently moved to the Endoscopy unit, where she developed more of an interest in Hepatology, getting to know these patients. During the Covid pandemic she also supported the hospital working on the Covid assessment ward.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons).
Andrew Everett - Alcohol Liaison Nurse
Andrew completed a diploma in health at Bradford University, qualifying as an Adult Nurse in 1998. He then completed an 18 month rotational development program at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital Trust 1999. He then commenced a transitional program for intensive care nursing at Kings College London, which he completed in 2001. He then worked as an intensive care nurse for 5 years in London.
He returned to Plymouth and worked at Broadreach residential drug and rehabilitation unit, during which he attained the opportunity to train and study to become a substance misuse counsellor. He qualified as a substance misuse practitioner and gained level 1, 2 and 3 certificate in counselling studies CPCAB.
In 2012 he took up the post of Alcohol Liaison Nurse (ALN) at Torbay hospital and completed independent / supplementary prescribing (V300) at Plymouth University. From 2015-2020 he worked at a functional assessor centre for health and disability assessments DWP. In June 2020 he started at Univerisy Hospital Plymouth and works as part of the ALN team.
Qualifications: Dip HE. NMP
Shelby Turner - Alcohol Liaison Nurse
Shelby qualified as a General Nurse in 2019 and started her career on MAU where she quickly found a passion for substance abuse services and the importance of bridging the gap between physical health and mental health.
The Alcohol Liaison service here at Derriford is under the Hepatology team focusing on the liver and work very closely with Liaison Psychiatry Team so she aspired to this role.
Since starting as an Alcohol Liaison Nurse in July 2021, she has truly loved every day at work and hopes to continue to develop in her role and pass on her knowledge and skills to colleagues to enable patients to have access to the support they deserve.
Qualifications: BsC (Hons), Preceptorship Programme UHP
Robert Maynard - Hepatology Fibroscan Technician
Robert started his career as a healthcare support worker in 1984 gaining valuable experience in the provision of care for Mental Health and Elderly and Mentally Infirm (EMI) client groups. He worked as a senior HCSW for 19 years, gaining his NVQ level 3 in care in 2001. In February 2003 he joined the Prison Service and worked at Her Majesties Prison Dartmoor Health Care Department from 2004 to 2017 as a Band 3 HCA. With this exposure to an environment with such a high prevalence to substance misuse, mental health and challenging behaviour, Robert gained valuable insight and experience from a diverse mix of adult male patients.
From this Robert gained an interest in viral hepatology and joined the Hepatology Team at Derriford hospital in November 2017. On completion of his Fibroscan training, Robert is now assisting patients by holding regular Fibroscan clinics in our outpatient department, in addition to this he is working towards supporting his colleagues by providing a Fibroscan service to patients on the wards.
Robert will soon be undertaking his training to perform Critical Flicker frequency tests. This will enable him to assist colleagues in the detection of hepatic Encephalopathy for patients under our care.
Qualifications: NVQ – level 3.
To Contact the Hepatology nursing service please ring 01752 431320