THE family of a woman who lost a battle with cancer have nominated Wirral hospital staff who took 'outstanding' care of her for a prestigious award.

Primrose Isterling passed away last year, aged just 24, as a result of colorectal cancer.

She was cared for by Lucy Jane Taylor and her team at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Lucy has been nominated by Primrose' mother Fiona Irvine, a professor of nursing, for a patients' choice honour in this year’s Royal College of Nursing Awards (RCNi).

She told the judges that Lucy and the team – comprised of senior staff nurses Luke Millward-Browning, Charlotte Edgar, Natalie Jones, Joanne Connell and Sarah Smith - had excellent clinical skills and were confident in their practice and highly skilled in the delivery of care.

Joanne Upton, a skin cancer advanced nurse practitioner, is a finalist in the Cancer Nursing category.

Professor Irvine said the nursing team made her daughter feel loved while providing expert care.

She said: "I could only name a few of those who cared for Primrose but every single individual member of staff seemed to me to have her best interests at heart.

"I always felt she was in safe hands clinically and that they respected her wishes and spirit, enabling her to remain the individual young woman she was."

Primrose got married to Tim, 26, last summer while she was under treatment at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Her mum said staff were always on hand with advice and help while the family planned for the festival themed marriage near their home in Tremeirchion, north Wales.

She added: "The staff supported her throughout all the planning for the wedding, they showed a real interest in her life and did everything they could to make sure her treatment fitted in.

"They were so flexible and that was very important.

"It wasn't just the clinical care that was outstanding, it was everything that went with it.

"She had fun with the staff and loved chatting with them about the wedding planning, about everything."

Primrose loved to travel and Fiona said staff worked hard to make holidays as stress free as possible.

"They would write out a full list of her medication to make it easier and quicker to get through customs and were always on hand for a call or a text while she was away if we had any concerns.

"The care she received face to face and the work they did for her in the background was excellent.

"She never wanted to be in hospital but when she was, she knew she was in the best place.

"This nomination is on behalf of Primrose."

On her nomination, Lucy Jane Taylor said: "It is humbling that even in such a tragic situation, Fiona found the time to nominate us.

"It was an honour to nurse Primrose and a pleasure to get to know the family. She really was a great girl.

"Everything we do is a team effort and we are honoured as a team by this nomination."

The RCNi Awards ceremony will be held at Westminster Park Plaza, London on July 4.

There are 14 categories, each with five finalists.

The Patients’ Choice Award is the only category where the entrants are nominated by patients and the winner is decided by public vote.

Voting is now open and will run until Friday, June 8.

To vote in the Patient's Choice Award log onto www.rcni.com/nurse-awards/patients-choice-voting