A nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital has received a regional honour for her research work with children.

Sara Bennett was named ‘Research Nurse of the Year’ at the Greater Manchester Clinical Research Awards – which reward the best of medical research in the region.

Sara has been a research nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital for ten years, with her main focus being paediatric and neonatal research. She has worked across a wide range of research studies including diabetes, vaccines, respiratory illnesses and epilepsy. She is a champion of research at Stockport and is also part of a national clinical studies group, driving diabetes research forward with Diabetes UK.

The hospital’s research team immunising teenagers against Meningitis B were also recognised at the awards by being shortlisted for the Research Team of the Year title.

Wiesia Woodyatt, Research and Innovation Manager for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said “The work Sara has done for research at Stepping Hill Hospital is really outstanding. She lives and breathes the values of research in the NHS, always putting her patients at the forefront of what she does and ensuring they are aware of all research opportunities available for their conditions. She is a fantastic advocate for research in Greater Manchester and a brilliant nurse!”

The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester which held the awards received over 230 nominations highlighting research excellence in the area.

Stepping Hill Hospital is a key clinical research site in the Greater Manchester, and its research team currently oversees studies involving up to a thousand local patients each year. If you are interested hearing about the research opportunities available for your condition, then e-mail research.development@stockport.nhs.uk  or speak to your hospital doctor.