WAND Faculty members

Debra Rees

Hywel Dda UHB Debra Rees, qualified as RGN 1992, mainly worked in acute medical wards, was sister of diabetes ward 2002 and started as Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) 2006. Her main interest lies with Type 1 diabetes, but she works extensively with people living with Type 2 diabetes. Debra is a DAFNE educator, started pump service in Carmarthenshire 2009 and we now have over 200 pts on pump therapy. Currently working as senior DSN in PPH.

Sarah Cornes-Payne

Cardiff and Vale UHB

I qualified as an RGN in Cardiff in 1991, and have stayed in the Health Board ever since. I  have worked across several medical wards as a Staff Nurse and then a Sister before working as a Quality and Training Coordinator and then a Senior Nurse.

I obtained an MSc in Healthcare Management in 2004. I worked briefly with the patient experience team and was Head of Concerns for Cardiff and Vale UHB before taking up my current post as Nurse Lead for Diabetes in 2018. I coordinate adult diabetes services across secondary and primary and community care. I sit on the Diabetes Service Improvement Group for C&VUHB.

I absolutely love my job, I am passionate about improving services for people with diabetes, providing education for HCPs across the organisation to increase awareness and understanding of diabetes and creating a positive and fulfilling work environment for my team.

Julie Lewis

Betsi Cadwalader LHB

MRes. Health & Social Care

PGDip Clinical Nursing

Cert Ed.

RCN Credential for Advanced Level Nursing Practice

DAFNE educator & UK DAFNE peer reviewer.

Diabetes Specialist Nurse in North Wales since 2002 & has worked in the acute and community setting.

Since 2014 Julie has been the Clinical Lead for diabetes in her local health board which covers 120 GP practices & 3 district hospitals.

Is the Wales DSN lead representative on the diabetes National Specialist Advisory Group (NSAG) and has collaborated with her National DSN colleagues to create the Welsh Academy for Nursing in Diabetes (WAND).

Sally Ann Jones

Powys LHB

Sian Bodman

Aneurin Bevan UHB

Sian Bodman job shares a Senior Nurse post for Diabetes in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and is a founder member of Wand.  Sian specialised in Diabetes in April 2005 working in both primary and secondary care. Heading an integrated Diabetes Service and appointed Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) team in primary care primarily supporting patients with type 2 diabetes managing complex diabetes within patients home/care home and within GP practices.  The secondary care Diabetes team expanded and now provide a dedicated inpatient service over 7 days in our new critical care centre.

Ceri Jones

Cwm Taff University Health Board

Rachel Harris

Cardiff & Vale UHB

Rachel Harris RGN/ RSCN, BSc (Hons), MSc is a Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse and Team Leader for the Paediatric Diabetes Nursing Team in Cardiff. Rachel qualified in 1987 initially as an adult nurse before specialising in Paediatric Nursing in 1991. After working in many different paediatric ward settings including Team leader on the Young Persons Unit at the University Hospital of Wales Rachel moved into the role of Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse in 2000. She provides support to children, young people and their families as well as professional support and leadership to the diabetes team. Rachel is passionate about improving care and outcomes for children and young people with all forms of diabetes and is the Quality Improvement Champion for the team. Her passion for quality improvement led her to her role as the PDSN representative on the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit Project Board.  Rachel also sits on the Children and Young People Wales Diabetes Network as Lead nurse and represents Wales at the Regional Lead Nurse Group. Rachel believes every child with diabetes deserves the very best care and is committed to delivering compassionate care whilst striving towards positive health outcomes.