A DEDICATED nurse is in the running for this year’s Patient’s Choice Award for her work with cancer patients.

York Hospital chemotherapy nurse Ellie Hodge, 29, is one of four finalists up for this year’s Claire Rayner Patient’s Choice Award and has been nominated for giving hope and making the gruelling treatment her patients go through bearable.

Mrs Hodge, who lives in Acomb with her primary school teacher husband, Tim, was nominated by two York patients; Kathryn Cook, of Haxby, and Rebecca Hastie, of Rawcliffe who have both been given the all-clear from cancer.

Mrs Cook, who was treated for an unusual form of the disease, said: “Ellie was the first healthcare professional who treated me like a real human being rather than an interesting statistic. She would never say she is deserving of this award, or that she even does a thing to warrant it, but the fact is that she made an unbearable time in my life bearable.”

As well as giving information and practical advice tailored to her specific needs, Mrs Hodge made special arrangements to enable Mrs Cook’s three-year-old son, Charlie, to be with her as much as possible during her hospital appointments. Two years on, the nurse still keeps in touch with her former patients.

Ms Hastie said: “Being diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 is terrifying, but Ellie went above and beyond the call of duty to make the chemotherapy bearable.

“Watching her at work, it is evident that she does this with all the patients in her care.

“She made me feel at ease and was always there to listen to my partner too. You could tell it was more than just a job to her.”

Mrs Hodge has also co-written and helped to produce an award-winning ten-minute DVD that is given to patients before they start their treatment.

She said: “It’s really amazing to be nominated for the award - I really didn’t expect it at all.

“The first I knew of it was when Kathryn told me and I nearly fell off my chair – it’s just so lovely that they’d even think about something like that when they have both been through so much.”

The final four have been chosen from 150 entries and it is now up to the public to vote and decide who wins the award and £500.

To vote for Mrs Hodge phone 0845 6530195 and select option A, text NURSE followed by a space and the letter A to 81025 or go to www.patients-choice.co.uk

Voting runs until Friday, March 1. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on March 12.