![\"\"](\"\/\/www.aselpijama.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/iain-with-award-1-e1558353589329-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>notes\nto editors<\/p>
image\nshows dr iain armstrong with his royal college of nursing fellowship award. <\/p>
press release: the chair of a sheffield-based rare disease charity has received a prestigious award for his work.<\/p>
dr iain armstrong, chair of the chapeltown-based pulmonary\nhypertension association uk (pha uk), was recognised with a fellowship award by\nthe royal college of nursing (rcn), the highest award it can give.<\/p>
iain, who lives in stocksbridge, also works as a nurse consultant\nwithin the sheffield pulmonary vascular disease unit, a specialist pulmonary\nhypertension service based at the royal hallamshire hospital.<\/p>
the fellowship was awarded at the rcn annual congress in\nliverpool yesterday (sunday 19 may). it is given to individuals who have \u2018made\nan exceptional commitment to advancing the science and practice of nursing and\nthe improvement of health care\u2019. only a small number of fellows and honorary\nfellows are elected each year.<\/p>
pulmonary hypertension (ph) is a rare, serious disease\naffecting the heart and lungs. iain founded the pha uk in 1999 after\nrecognising the need for a charity to support people diagnosed with the\ncondition, which affects just 7,000 people in the uk. the organisation now has over\n4,500 members and funds medical research and health education initiatives to\npromote better awareness, diagnosis and treatment of ph.<\/p>
nominations for individuals to receive an rcn fellowship are\nmade by members of the rcn and are accompanied by testimonials from colleagues\nor associates.<\/p>
iain, who also volunteers for the guide dogs for the blind\nassociation in his spare time, said: \u201ci was genuinely surprised and humbled to\nhear about the award. to be recommended by your colleagues in the area you\u2019ve\nworked in for 30 years is special \u2013 i don\u2019t think any recognition can surpass\nthat. <\/p>
\u201cafter leaving school with one o-level and being told i\nwouldn\u2019t make it, i\u2019m very proud of what i\u2019ve achieved.\u201d<\/p>
iain was the first nurse consultant to work in pulmonary\nvascular disease after enrolling in 1982.<\/p>
professor david kiely, director of the sheffield pulmonary\nvascular disease unit at the royal hallamshire hospital, said: “iain is a\nfantastic colleague and i have been privileged to have worked with him for\nnearly 20 years. the award of the highly prestigious fellowship from the royal\ncollege of nursing reflects a professional career dedicated to supporting\npeople affected by pulmonary hypertension. <\/p>
\u201che remains an inspiration to nursing and medical staff both\nnationally and internationally and as the chair of the pha uk he has pioneered\nthe development of a support network for people affected by pulmonary\nhypertension.”<\/p>
carl harries, clinical nurse specialist in pulmonary\nhypertension at the royal brompton and harefield hospital in london, who\nnominated iain for the award, said: \u201ciain\u2019s commitment to patients and raising\nawareness of ph as a rare condition has really stood out to me. he has a great\nunderstanding of their needs, and a huge determination to fight their corner.\u201d<\/p>
\u201cthe way iain balances his clinical work with his charity\ncommitments is exceptional and he is responsible for the strength of the pha uk\nwithin the public domain.\u201d<\/p>
kay yeowart, co-founder of the pha uk, added: \u201ciain has\ndedicated much of his life to his patients and charity members\u2019 wellbeing,\ngiving enormous amounts of his personal time to the pha uk. through the charity\nand his work, he has enhanced the lives of many patients and their families.<\/p>
\u201ciain has the enthusiasm to continue working with others to ensure the success of the charity for many years to come.\u201d<\/p> notes\nto editors<\/p> image\nshows dr iain armstrong with his royal college of nursing fellowship award. <\/p><\/figure>