Mary Kirkham
Mary Kirkham is a highly experienced and nationally recognised specialist who has joined BPC as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner.
Mary qualified as a nurse 42 years ago, has specialised in urology for 35 years and during the past three decades, worked as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, running clinics, developing guidelines, lecturing and training medical students. At BPC, Mary works in close collaboration with Advanced Nurse Practitioner Nula Allen to provide outstanding support for patients, continuity of care and rapid access nurse-led clinics.
Mary qualified in 1974 and gained experienced as a staff nurse in surgical wards before taking a senior role in urology. She became one of the first Clinical Nurse Specialists running independent clinics and developing new services. In 2001, Mary moved to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, leading the urology nursing service. During 11 years at the QE, Mary led the expansion in the number of nurse specialists from two to eight, bringing many improvements and innovations for patients, such as the introduction of a full-time nurse focusing on continence support.
Mary is widely recognised for her drive to continually improve patient care and develop roles for specialist nurses. She was President of the British Association of Urology Nurses for seven years, she trained medical students in male catheterisation for two decades and has lectured widely. In 2004, Mary won the Nursing Standard Cancer Nurse of the Year award, in recognition of her outstanding patient care and role in developing new services.
“I am very driven by the principle of making a difference – to every service and to every patient. At BPC, there is the advantage of having two highly experienced Advanced Nurse Practitioners. This ensures patients can rapidly access tests such as assessment of flow rates and ultrasound residual urine estimation which we can provide at the same time as consultant clinics. It also means there is continuous support for our patients – from the shock of a prostate cancer diagnosis through the journey of treatment and recovery. We are always available to help, support and advise and we know this is makes a very significant difference to each patient’s overall experience.”
Specialities
- Prostate Cancer
- Nurse-led Clinics
- Patient Support