TOP nurses in Herefordshire shared their experiences with colleagues at a special nursing 'get together'.

More than 90 attended a conference to hear about excellent nursing projects already being promoted in the county.

Nursing plays a key role in providing health services in Herefordshire, from general, midwifery and health visiting through to prevention, health education, specialist disease management and palliative care nursing.

They make up the largest workforce in the NHS and those attending the conference came from Hereford Hospitals Trust, the Primary Care Trust, independent health care providers, including St Michael's Hospice, nursing homes and other organisations who employ nurses in the county.

The purpose of the event was for nurses to learn from one another about specialist nursing initiatives now taking place.

Three Herefordshire nurses, who have all won national awards presented their work.

Helen Griffiths from the County Hospital illustrated her work on gastroenterology, Sarah Coomer, practice nurse at Fownhope Surgery discussed her work on skin care while Judy Thompson from the PCT described how she set up and runs the school nurse project in Leominster.

An innovative work on swallowing assessment was presented by Caroline Evans, the Parkinsons nurse specialist from the PCT.

Commitment

Trish Jay, lead executive nurse from the PCT, described it as an excellent event, the enthusiasm of those present indicating the commitment to the excellence of nursing already in Herefordshire and providing a clear path of priorities to develop locally.

A report will be collated from the conference and specific priorities taken forward into a local action plan for nursing in Herefordshire.