Frome woman awarded for services to cardiac health in the community

A local woman has been given the Community and Outreach Award at the South West Healthcare Science Awards for her services to supporting patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and raising awareness of the condition. 

Helen Hodgson, who lives in Frome, is a ‘highly specialised’ cardiac physiologist at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath. She received the award last month at the South West Healthcare Science Conference in Taunton, presented to her by deputy chief scientific officer, Dr Victoria Chalker.  

The award recognises her work in raising awareness of and helping people with Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a heart condition that causes an often irregular and abnormally fast heart rate. 

“Helen has worked at the RUH for 31 years now and for 37 years in the NHS,” said her husband, Andrew Hodgson. 

“She works in the cardiac centre at the RUH performing diagnostic cardiology investigations. She has had the same role but has specialised in echocardiography for about 25 years and has a particular interest in the ‘patient experience.’ 

“She has been raising awareness and supporting patients with AF in particular because there is no specific service available, with no other national support group and many patients have little knowledge or understanding of this very common condition.” 

In the 90s, she set up and ran a cardiac rehabilitation group for people in the Frome area for ten years. In 2018, with no funding, Helen also started a community AF group for patients in and around her local area, with help from Mendip Health Connectors. 

Nominating her for the award, service lead for echocardiography at the RUH, James Willis, said, “She recognised that patients with this very common condition require more support and education, as well as a forum in which they can ask questions and learn from the experiences of others.  

“This involves guest speakers from cardiologists, pharmacists and exercise physiologists, all of whom would be involved in some way with this patient group.” 

“She also organised point-of-care testing for members of the public in an effort to raise awareness of AF, which involved offering a quick pulse check with mobile ECG and interpretation with advice on next steps for patients on the local high street using equipment purchased by the Friends of Frome Hospital. 

“The exceptional caring and supportive attitude can also be seen in her day-to-day clinical work as Helen continues to advocate for and support all our cardiac patients at Royal United Hospital in Bath. In particular, patients under the care of oncology, for whom she works tirelessly to provide a very patient-oriented service with excellent results. 

The Community and Outreach Award recognises individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to public engagement and community outreach programmes raising the profile of healthcare science in their locality or across the region. 

“Helen is a worthy winner of this award given her decades of service in supporting patients within her local area and outside of the clinical environment,” says James.