Celebrating the incredible nurses of Saint Catherine’s

International Nurses Day 2026

Today (Tuesday 12th May 2026) we are proudly celebrating International Nurses Day, recognising the compassion, professionalism and dedication of nurses across Saint Catherine’s. This year’s theme, “Our Nurses, Our Future – Empowered Nurses Save Lives,” highlights the vital contribution nurses make every day to improving lives, supporting families and delivering compassionate person-centred care. At Saint Catherine’s, our nurses support patients and families through some of life’s most difficult moments, whether on our inpatient unit, in the community or across our wider services. Their care goes far beyond clinical expertise; they bring comfort, reassurance, dignity and kindness when it matters most. To mark the occasion, nurses across the hospice received a personal thank you from members of the senior leadership team, alongside a card and sweet treat in recognition of the incredible difference they make every day.

The impact of their work is reflected in the heartfelt feedback we have received from patients and families throughout this year alone.

One family member shared:

“They treated my Dad with dignity and respect at every stage, and they supported our family in ways we will never forget.”

Another said:

“The CNS team showed amazing kindness and care. They made me feel supported at a vulnerable time. No questions were too much trouble. I cannot put into words what they did for me, my Dad and our family.”

Families regularly speak of the compassion shown by staff during incredibly emotional times, with one patient’s family describing the team as:

“Compassionate, caring, humorous, and deeply empathetic.”

Another tribute praised the care nurses gave to both patient and family alike:

“You all cared for her as well as us in some dark times, as well as in the light. We will never forget what you all did for her.”

Ray Baird, CEO of Saint Catherine’s, said:

“Our nurses provide exceptional care every single day, often in the most challenging circumstances. Their compassion, professionalism and dedication make an enormous difference to patients and families across our community. We are incredibly proud and grateful for everything they do.”

Everyone at Saint Catherine’s would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our nurses for the care, kindness and support they give every day.

Their impact is felt not only by patients, but by families, colleagues and the wider community, and we are proud to celebrate them today and every day.

Messages from patients and families

Over the past year, patients and families have shared many heartfelt words about the care and support they received from nurses and teams across Saint Catherine’s. Below are just some of the messages we have received:

“Lindsey has been my rock and I can’t thank her enough. I am no longer in pain, I no longer have swelling or cording. I am able to exercise, swim and do household chores without wearing a sleeve. I feel like my old self, the way I felt before my diagnosis and I am very grateful to Lindsey for this.”

“To Paris and all the other amazing nurses at Saint Catherine’s. Thank you for making his last days comfortable and calming. You are all amazing.”

“My dad received exceptional care from the CNS team. Everyone came together to support our family following the difficult discharge and the care could not have been better.”

“Thank you so much for all your kindness and care of our wonderful Dad. Saint Catherine’s gave him peace, compassion and amazing care in his final days. He was happy and relaxed to be in your peaceful surroundings, cared for by your wonderful staff with views of the British countryside that he loved so much. Thank you also for looking after his wife so beautifully while she stayed with him and also for showing such kindness to our whole family. Saint Catherine’s delivers the care that we should see in the NHS, but is sadly so absent due to a huge number of pressures. Thank you again for your amazing care. My 9 year old daughter sends a special thank you to Nurse Penny who was so kind when she and Mummy were sat having a cry in the family room.”

“Every member of staff we met were kind and fully met our needs. Susie was especially comforting as we knew it would be the last time we would see our relative.”

“All the wonderful staff at Saint Catherine’s. We wanted to make a special trip today over to Scarborough to try and express how grateful we are for all you did for mum. Dr Dean, Jeremy & Ben and all of the medics (some we can’t recall names): your advice, patience and kindness was felt by mum and us all, you settled Mum’s anxieties about her death and spent so much time caring for her. You made such a difference to us all. Molly, Steve, Jimbo, Suzie, Charlotte, Holly (OT) and others that we can’t recall names for – wow did you impress our Mum! She was bowled over by your care, kindness, humour and interest in her amazing life. You all cared for her as well as us in some dark times as well as in the light when Mum got to go home and be a medical miracle one last time. We will never forget what you all did for her.”

“To Katie, just a note to say a heartfelt thank you. We so appreciated your quiet, calm and compassionate support, as well as your sensible and honest advice. You really helped us all cope. Thank you.”

“To Harriet, thank you for all you did to make my husband’s last days more comfortable and pain free. Thank you to everyone at Saint Catherine’s Hospice.”

“When my Dad was first admitted to the hospice, I’m not ashamed to say I was terrified. The thought of visiting him there was something I really struggled with. But if my Dad could face it, then so could I—that became my mindset. Driving up for that first visit, I felt completely intimidated. However, the experience could not have been further from what I had imagined. The hospice was modern, warm, bright, and welcoming. It felt comfortable and calm, and most importantly, it made us feel safe. Not just my Dad, but our whole family felt cared for and supported. And then there are the staff. First and foremost, they are the ultimate professionals at what they do, but they also bring the most personal touch. Every single one of them felt like a God-sent angel, and they are truly what make this place so special. They were compassionate, caring, humorous, and deeply empathetic. I honestly can’t put into words how incredible they were. The food was amazing, the care was unbelievable, and nothing was ever too much trouble. They treated my Dad with dignity and respect at every stage, and they supported our family in ways we will never forget.”

“The CNS team showed amazing kindness and care. They made me feel supported at a vulnerable time. No questions were too much trouble. They made time to spend with us. The team is and was without doubt amazing. I cannot put into words what they did for me and Dad and our family in this difficult time. Thank you with all my heart.”