A new specialist Roald Dahl nurse is honoured to become the first of her type at Ipswich Hospital. 

The Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, which was created after the death of the children's author in 1991, works closely with the NHS to provide specialist nurses for children with complex medical needs. 

Lucy Broom has become the latest Roald Dahl nurse and is based at Ipswich Hospital after the charity began working with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).

She said: "I’m honoured to become Ipswich’s first Roald Dahl Nurse.  It’s a really exciting, holistic role. The families of children with complex illnesses are often under a lot of pressure.  I hope to make a difference by taking care of and supporting them all.”

Across the country, there are more than 120 Roald Dahl nurses who care for more than 33,000 children. 

In her role, she will support children and their families by providing expert clinical knowledge as well as supporting them with referrals and coordinating care both at home and in hospital.

The nurses work closely with GP surgeries, social care and schools to help their patients and their families."

Already benefiting from the service is two-year-old Ada, from Ipswich, who is living with Aicardi-Goutieres, a progressive brain disease.

The disease affects Ada's immune system and requires her to be fed through a jejunal tube.

Ada’s mum Helen said, “We’ve missed months of our son and older daughter’s life because we’ve been in hospital.  A lot of that time we could have been back at home. A Roald Dahl Nurse there to co-ordinate and be that point of contact would make life so much easier.  The nurses are the lynchpin between all the different people you have to speak to.”

Consultant paediatrician Dr Lauren Filby said she was thrilled with the appointment which would continue enhancing the services in place for ESNEFT's youngest patients.

Dr Filby said: "Their care will be transformed by the presence and expertise of a Roald Dahl Nurse Specialist for CMC.

"Their dedicated ability to coordinate, liaise, support and educate teams about the unique needs of these children will be life-changing for them and their families.”