Dany qualified as a nurse in 1986 in Suffolk, initially working within the surgical specialty. In 1990 became ward sister on a ward caring for people having major surgery for upper GI, colorectal and urological cancers. Becoming interested in palliative care undertook the Diploma in Palliative Care at Homerton University, then in 1995 became a ward sister in a hospice in Wales.
In 1997 was appointed team leader for a specialist palliative care team in a large teaching hospital in Bristol (North Bristol NHS Trust) working clinically as well as managing the service across a 2 site organisation. This was an unusually senior role for an acute Trust and sat alongside the Heads of Nursing within the Trust.
In 2002 was successful in completing an MSc in Pain Management at University College of Medicine in Cardiff, with her dissertation being an exploration opiate use in renal impairment as the trust has a very busy renal unit that the palliative care team worked closely with for cancer and non cancer diagnosis’ .
In 2003 appointed as Lead Cancer Nurse in the Trust and in 2004 took on joint Cancer Manager and Lead Cancer Nurse role for the Trust. Dany continued to undertake this role until undertook a secondment as Head of Operations in May 2012 supporting the 4 hour emergency access target work and daily operational activity within the Trust. Alongside this still continued to oversee cancer programme as Cancer Manager supported by a full time Lead Cancer Nurse.
In May 2014 took up post with Macmillan Cancer Support based in the UK Office as National Programme Lead for Treatment and Recovery and is responsible for development of strategy around treatment, recovery and living with and beyond cancer.
Dany now lives in North Yorkshire with her husband and Son.