Serving as RCN president from 2002 to 2006, and contributing to the College in innumerable ways, Sylvia was a nursing force to be reckoned with and will be sorely missed by the profession, her patients and all who knew her
“This is an incredibly sad loss for nursing. Sylvia was a strong, passionate and innovative nurse, and her contribution to the College, and health care itself, will have a lasting significance.
“All nursing staff owe much to Sylvia’s enduring spirit and tenacity. The RCN will endeavour to embody this spirit as we continue to develop our profession.”
RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair
Sylvia’s long and highly distinguished career began with a qualification in general nursing from the Royal London Hospital. She then went on to practise in the area of thoracic medicine, becoming a research sister and clinical nurse specialist, as well as qualifying and practising as a specialist health visitor for homeless families.
During her training, Sylvia developed an interest in the care of women with malignant breast disease. In 1980 she worked as sister, then as senior nurse, in the Department of Surgery at King’s College Hospital in London. She gained the Oncology Nursing Certificate in 1986 at the Royal Marsden Hospital where she worked and obtained a Masters (MSc) in advanced clinical practice in cancer nursing. By 2004, she was lead nurse/senior clinical nurse specialist in breast care at Barts and the London NHS Trust. She also chaired the editorial board of the journal Cancer Nursing Practice.
A long-standing active member of the RCN, Sylvia had a significant and lasting impact on the College.
Her time serving on RCN Council began as deputy president from 1998 until 2002, when she was elected president, going on to serve two terms until 2006. During that time, she continued to work as a clinician and was at the cutting edge of service developments, allowing her to speak with authority and empathy on the challenges members faced.
Current RCN President, Anne Marie Rafferty, describes Sylvia as “a powerful presidential presence, who made significant contributions to policy, debates and changes” and who was “very popular with members”.
“I know from a recent conversation we had that her passion for nursing was as strong as ever and she was extremely proud of the College and our members,” added Anne Marie. “She also talked about her family and how proud she was of their achievements.”
Sylvia was a founding member of the Breast Care Nursing Forum and remained chair for a number of years. She also served on the RCN finance and national forum co-ordinating committees, chaired the RCN Faculty Steering Group and was a member of the Board of Governors of the RCN Institute.
Above: Sylvia meeting Princess Anne
She was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN) in 1990 in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of clinical nursing and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1996 for services to nursing.
In 1998 she won the Nursing Standard Cancer Nursing Award. In 2006, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to health care. She became an Honorary Fellow in 2004 at Canterbury Christchurch University.
At a national level, Sylvia served on a number of committees including the Council of the Breast Care Mastectomy Association and the Medical Advisory Committee of the Women’s National Cancer Control Campaign. She was the only nurse on the Government’s Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening. From 1998 she was a member of the Department of Health’s Standing Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee.
She pushed for the full implementation of the Forest Report on Breast Screening, which led to a nationwide screening programme for breast cancer, and also raised awareness of the need for an appropriately trained breast care nurse in every health authority. She then designed, set up and ran the first advanced nursing course for the care of breast cancer patients.
She became president of Europa Donna UK and served on its board. In 2003 she was elected as a member of the Steering Group of the European Forum for Nursing and Midwifery Associations. In 2009, she was elected to the European seat on the International Council of Nurses’ Board of Directors.
Maura Buchanan served as RCN deputy president throughout Sylvia’s two terms as president. But she’d come across her much earlier when, as a student nurse, she’d read some of Sylvia’s papers on breast cancer. “I was already impressed by Sylvia from reading her papers so when I heard her talk at my first RCN Congress in Blackpool in 1986 it was a great privilege,” Maura remembers. “Sylvia was the best of nursing. She was known for her huge personality, warmth and passion and her unwavering dedication to ensuring patients had access to the very best of care.”
