Leeds nurse wins coveted Queen's Nurse title and dedicates it to the memory of her late friend

Julie Beer, an advanced nurse practitioner and clinical nurse manager at Colton Mill and The Grange Medical Centre in east Leeds, has been awarded the Queen’s Nurse title - given to nurses who demonstrate a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice.

The prestigious honour provides access to professional networking, a developmental programme and bursaries and is awarded by the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Julie described receiving the award as the “pinnacle of my career” and has chosen to dedicate it to her late friend Julie Verity, of Kippax, who died in September at the age of 48 from cancer.

Her death came just two months after she was awarded a degree by Leeds Beckett University where she had been studying nursing while undergoing her treatment.

Julie Beer, who had been friends with Julie since primary school, said: “She was an absolutely beautiful person inside and outside, so caring and she would have made an excellent nurse.

“I wanted to dedicate my award to her. I just think she should be recognised as well.”

Also in recognition of what Julie Verity achieved, Leeds Beckett University have announced the ‘Julie Verity Award for Overcoming Adversity’ now named in her honour.

Julie's daughter, Lauren Verity, 23, said: “We are really chuffed that people are honouring all her hard work which has come to something because she obviously wasn’t able to do the job she would have been fabulous at,” she said, adding: “It’s nice to know that the work she has done has not gone unnoticed and she has been remembered for it.”

Julie Beer, who works across York Road and Crossgates primary care networks, is one of at least eight Leeds nurses who are understood to have been awarded the Queen’s Nurse title this year.

Julie award was in recognition of services to primary care, where she has worked for 15 years, and her recent achievements include creating a drive-through flu clinic at Gipton Fire Station, which vaccinated 1,000 patients a day, and setting up ‘Peppa Pig flu parties’ to improve the experience of young children receiving their flu vaccinations.

She said: “Queen’s nursing is about showing leadership skills and empowering others as well, bringing in new ways [of nursing]. I thought it would just be the pinnacle of my career, to be a Queen’s Nurse.

“I was really thrilled and honoured when I found out.”

Her manager, Andrea Mann, clinical director of Crossgates Primary Care Network and East Leeds Collaborative, said Julie is “always looking at new ways to improve nursing services”.

“Julie’s innovative ideas for vaccination clinics have been rolled out across the primary care network. She has shown a huge amount of dedication and worked extremely hard during the Covid pandemic,” she said.

Another recipient is Gill Merchant, head of safeguarding and dedicated nurse in safeguarding children and adults for NHS Leeds CCG.

The nurse, of nearly 38 years, described receiving the Queen’s Nurse title as the “highest honour”.

She said: I aim to utilise the opportunities offered to me as a Queen's Nurse to raise the profile of safeguarding and promote safeguarding as a career for my fellow community nurses."

Her colleague on the safeguarding team, Saika Said, also won the award. She works as a specialist safeguarding practitioner for children and adults and is described as “valued member of the team”, who said they were delighted by her “well-deserved recognition”.

Five further nurses from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust were also awarded the Queen’s Nurse title.

These were: Kulvant Sandhu, a dementia nurse with the safeguarding team; Christine Pearson, clinical team manager for those aged 0-19; Bev Calvert, clinical lead for the cardiac service; Jane Braunholtz-Speight, sexual health nurse and Rachael Lee, clinical pathway lead for integrated care.

For Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, this brings the total to 14 Queen’s Nurses working at the trust.

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