Kelly Wilcox

My name is Kelly, and I would like to ask for your vote to become the next British Geriatric Society’s Deputy Chair for the Nurses and AHPs Council.

I am a dedicated nurse with over 20 years’ experience, and I currently work in Princess Wales Hospital Bridgend as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner for Care of the Elderly. I am new to this role and to this health board; however my clinical journey has always brought me back to caring for frail and older people.

With a background in acute medicine, community frailty services and primary care, providing care for the older person has always been at the forefront of my nursing career. With experience of working in both primary and secondary care sectors, I understand the issues that arise from both sides and have always advocated for a more coherent approach to elderly care services. Sometimes it can feel like community and hospital services are working against each other when ultimately we all want the same thing, to care for our patients. I want to use this platform to open lines of communication so we can work better together, learning from each other and sharing best practice across the country.

After completing an MSc in Advanced Practice and independent prescribing, I have the privilege of working alongside a team of excellent practitioners within the COTE team at Princess of Wales, headed by our visionary lead Dr Wendy Mashlan. I am proud to be working with such a dynamic and forward-thinking team, in which we endeavour to challenge practices to ensure every individual on our COTE wards receive the best possible care.

Our team at POW believe in the importance of shared practice, by learning from each other, the wider MDT and beyond we can push boundaries and strive for better, for our patients and our profession.

I want to use the platform as deputy chair to be a voice for the nursing and allied health professionals within geriatric care. I understand what it is like to sometimes not be heard, but together we are louder and stronger. I want to be an advocate for all of you doing such excellent work in geriatric care and to be a constant reminder that nurses and allied health professionals are massive driver for change across all parts of the UK.

With an ageing population, the NHS and social care are at breaking point. We all have a responsibility to protect the health service that we all work so tirelessly for and the patients that are in our care. During these uncertain times, it is the ordinary people like us keeping our services running. It is us keeping our patients safe and generally being the glue that holds it all together. I won’t shy away from asking the difficult questions or fighting for what is right.

Together we can be a unified voice, leading our services with curiosity and care, transgressing barriers as we go.

Thank you.