Vicky Pang, clinical lead nurse for infection prevention and control (IPC)

A nurse at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has received national recognition for her “zero-tolerance” work that helps protect patients against serious infections.

Vicky Pang, clinical lead nurse for infection prevention and control (IPC), is a finalist in the British Journal of Nursing 2019 annual awards.

Work led by Vicky resulted in the number of cases of E coli that occurred in the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) reducing by 32% from 2016 to 2018. Hospitals in England are expected to achieve a reduction of 10% each year, so the RFH has exceeded this target, providing more patients with safe care during their hospital stay.

Vicky was nominated by Yvonne Carter, head of infection prevention and control nursing at the trust. Yvonne said: “Vicky has promoted a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to healthcare-acquired infections having seen the life-changing impact these can have on people.

“She is keen to remind everyone that each reduction is not just a number, but a person who has been spared the consequences of an infection.”

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on Friday 8 March.