Victoria Edwards joined CUH straight from university in Ireland in 2003. She has worked as a speech and language therapist for over 13 years and is now one of our motor neurone disease care coordinators. Here Victoria tells us more about her 20 years at CUH.
What is your name and your role in our hospitals?
I'm Victoria Edwards and I'm a motor neurone disease care coordinator.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy being able to support patients with motor neurone disease (MND) and their families.
I get to meet some amazing people that are living with a horrendous condition and feel like I make a difference.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey.
I joined CUH in August 2003 after I completed a BSc (hons) in Speech and Language Therapy at University in Ireland. During my studies I had the chance to do some placements in large teaching hospitals in England. I really enjoyed the hospital environment so got a job at Addenbrooke’s straight from university.
As a speech and language therapist (SLT) I have worked for over 13 years in the speech therapy department. During this time I have worked in the rehab, ear nose and throat (ENT) and adult acute teams and was the SLT in the motor neurone disease (MND) clinic for 10 years. In 2016 I took on the role of the MND care coordinator and have been in this role ever since.
Why you like working at CUH?
CUH has a great reputation for the care and treatment that it provides and I am proud to be working here.
What does a usual day look like for you?
I spend a lot of time in the office responding to calls and emails from patients. Every Thursday morning I go to the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge where we run our weekly MND clinic.
We've set up a process within CUH that triggers and alert if someone with MND is admitted, so I spend some of my days going to the wards or attending general clinics so that if someone is being given a diagnosis, I can be there to support them.
This process is really important so I can support our patients as soon as they arrive.
Tell us about a case study/experience at CUH that really stands out to you.
There are quite a few to choose from such being in the MND team when we won the Public choice award at the CUH awards in 2022.
However a particularly special memory was in 2015 when I was invited to meet HRH Princess Anne at an event in London as she is the Royal Patron of the motor neurone disease association (MNDA). It was an honour to be invited and to represent the CUH MND clinic.
I've also taken part in many fundraising projects for the MNDA and am excited to be doing a sky dive this summer! The skydive might just top my experience meeting royalty!
How do you feel your role benefits our patients?
I work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in the MND clinic which is held at Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge.
I am also present when patients are given the diagnosis so can offer support right from the start of their MND journey.
What is the most notable thing that has changed at CUH in your time working here?
When I first started working here the infrastructure was very different on the Addenbrooke’s site and I used to picnic where the staff car park now is!
It is amazing how many new buildings and wards have been built and I don’t think I ever believed the 2020 vision would actually come to fruition when I was shown it in 2006.
What is the most notable thing that has changed in your profession/career in the years you’ve worked in the NHS?
Advances in technology and research have been amazing since I started working in 2003 both in the field of speech therapy and MND.
The focus on research has really grown and in recent years patients with MND have had opportunities to take part in drug trials.
The 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge raised over £7 million, the majority channeled into research. It kick-started multiple advances which have led directly to potential new treatments.