A NORTH-EAST woman has been awarded the National Network for Learning Disability Nurses Award.

Susan Cockburn, of Durham, was presented with her certificate and £1,000 in prize money by Chris Beasley, chief nursing officer for the Department of Health.

The award was in recognition of her work as a nutritional practitioner and the development and use of a nutritional care pathway, specifically for an adult learning disabilities service.

The pathway developed by Ms Cockburn focuses on malnutrition, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and obesity in hospitals, and learning disabilities.

The prize money will be used to develop a DVD for patients with learning disabilities on the theme of nutritional development.

Ms Cockburn, who works for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, has been in this newly-developed role since September last year, after working for the trust as a nursing assistant for 18 years.

Her role includes supporting patients in the Darlington and County Durham area by carrying out health screening to assess their nutritional needs and accessing lifestyle initiatives in primary care services and the local community.

She said: "I feel honoured to have been presented with this prestigious national award and the opportunity to develop my new role.

"I look forward to sharing this new nutritional care pathway with other adult learning disability services."