A RADIOGRAPHER at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital has won a national award for what judges called “one of the best examples of innovative practice" she had ever seen.

Kate Cooper, who is a Macmillan specialist radiographer in the Beacon Centre cancer unit, won the 2016 Molnlycke Health Care Wound Academy award for innovative practice.

Her work led to a change in the way patients who take methotrexate medication for rheumatoid arthritis are referred for radiotherapy treatment.

Kate was alerted to a problem when a patient contacted the hospital two weeks after completing her radiotherapy reporting a severe skin reaction.

She discovered that the reaction was made worse by the patient taking a high dose of methotrexate.

The findings have now been shared with clinicians working in rheumatology, leading to a change in local radiotherapy policies of the use of methotrexate while a patient is being treated for other conditions.

Patients taking the drug are now identified before their radiotherapy begins so their care pathway can be better managed.

Kate said: “To be recognised for carrying out care that I felt was just part of my role is lovely.

“I hope that by publicising the lessons learnt we can avoid such reactions in the future.”

Karen Morgan, Macmillan consultant radiographer at Musgrove, said: “Kate was not only able to provide the necessary assessment and management of wound care for the patient, but she was also able to influence local policies.

"The work she carried out in researching this case should prevent further severe skin reactions of this type.

“All patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who are taking methotrexate medication, are now discussed in a wider forum with the consultant clinical oncologist and consultant rheumatologist making joint decisions about care.”

Panel judge Deborah Glover said: “This was an excellent example of how multi-professional learning can change procedures. It is one of the best examples of innovative practice I have ever seen."