Trust receives national award for excellence in Myeloma care
10 June 2026
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is proud to announce that its Haematology team has received a national award recognising outstanding person-centred care and clinical innovation for its Myeloma service.
The award from Myeloma UK, honours the legacy of Sarah Henshaw, a Clinical Nurse Specialist known for her compassion and dedication to improving patient care. It celebrates teams who demonstrate excellence in innovation and person-centred approaches.
The Royal Berkshire Haematology team were selected for its strong focus on improving the patient experience across the care pathway. This includes multi-disciplinary team service meetings, bringing together clinicians and a patient representative to review care and drive improvements from diagnosis through to treatment.
The team has also developed a twice-yearly patient newsletter in partnership with patients and the Reading Myeloma Support Group, alongside a comprehensive prehabilitation and rehabilitation programme to support patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.
The Trust’s Myeloma service scored highly for its holistic care approach, always advocating for their patients and making sure everything they did was centred on what mattered most to the patient.
Dr Pratap Neelakantan, Consultant Haematologist at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award, which recognises the dedication and compassion of our whole team. Our focus is always on delivering the very best care for our patients, working closely with them to shape and improve the services we provide. This recognition reflects our commitment to innovation and to putting patients at the heart of everything we do.”
Rhys Owens, Clinical Practice Services Senior Projects Officer at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, said: “We are thrilled to recognise Royal Berkshire Hospital's exceptional commitment to compassionate, person-centred myeloma care with this inaugural Sarah Henshaw Award for Clinical Excellence. Their collaboration, inclusion of patient voice and holistic support truly shape every aspect of the service, and makes sure every patient gets the best care possible – embodying Sarah's values and her legacy within the myeloma community.”
This award recognises the dedication, innovation and compassion of the Trusts Haematology team in delivering outstanding care for patients and their families.