Child and Adolescent Mental Health Consultant Pharmacist Rachel Hogan wins the award for always being there for her patients and their loved ones, making a difference every day.

Rachel said:

“To hear I’d been nominated was a lovely surprise. The NDC team is a wonderful team to work in and it’s full of fantastic people supporting one and other and doing their best for our patients. I was delighted to win this award and to hear how my contribution to this team, to CAMHS in general and to the wider system is valued.”

The nomination

Rachel was nominated by Non-Medical Prescriber and Clinical Nurse Specialist in CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Conditions Team Elwira Lubos.

Elwira commented:

“Rachel works very hard across primary, secondary care and commissioning groups in very challenging times, where there are shortages of medications that affect our client group, as well as challenges within the commissioning arrangements for young people that transfer into adulthood. She works with the different groups of stakeholders, making every effort to agree a joint way forward, and to keep the focus on the needs of the patients. She can make sound, evidence-based suggestions while negotiating different shared care protocols, and all this in context of being active clinically – seeing patients for medication reviews and seeing first-hand the effect that the larger provision has for this client group.

“In her role as a Non-Medical Prescriber in CAMHS NDC team (where she works 1 day per week) Rachel has a small caseload of patients, who she sees on a regular basis for medication reviews. She always shows great sensitivity to patient’s needs, demonstrates holistic understanding of the needs of the family, and is keen to hear the views of the young person.

“Aside from her clinical role, Rachel has been vital in providing sound advice during our supervision sessions, which contribute to ensuring that our practice is safe. She is the first person our team turns to when advice is required regarding complex clients (complex due to medication involved).”

“Rachel has been recently the second person in the UK to be accredited as a Children and Adolescent Consultant Pharmacist. This reflects the depth and wealth of knowledge she has, and as a team of prescribers within CAMHS we are truly blessed, having the opportunity to benefit from her knowledge, ensuring our practice is safe and up to date. She is very approachable, friendly, and always ready to support the team, not just with the pharmacological domain, but also as a prescriber and a colleague, offering additional clinical time for patients, and contributing richly to our prescribing supervision sessions. Her positive and caring attitude is always motivating us to look at proactive solutions, and ways in which we may be able to improve our practice.”