An innovative nurse who developed specialist treatment to manage the pain of the UK’s most severely injured servicemen and women has won a prestigious nursing award.

Sarah Lewis, 43, who works at Headley Court, near Epsom - the country’s largest defence rehabilitation centre - won the the Defence Nursing Award and the overall Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Nurse of the Year Award 2014.

Many of Ms Lewis’s patients have returned from service in Afghanistan and Iraq with terrible injuries, including traumatic amputations.

Her service provides each patient with pain-relief, in a variety of ways, tailored to their needs - with approaches including medication and acupuncture.  Their quality of life has improved as a result and their rehabilitation has been more successful.  

Before her service began in 2012, up to 80 per cent of them were trying to cope with such severe pain that their rehabilitation was jeopardised.

She said: "When you see patients who’ve been in severe pain, walking around, smiling and with a completely different demeanour about them, that’s so rewarding.  That’s why I love this job."

Congratulating Ms Lewis on her achievement, Rhonda Oliver, managing director of RCN, said: "Sarah’s innovative work is having a huge impact not only on the lives of these servicemen and women, but their families too.

"She is an inspiring ambassador for the nursing profession."

Ms Lewis received her award from television presenter Fiona Phillips at a special ceremony in London on Friday, May 10.