Tricia Feber RGN, MSc

Macmillan Nurse Specialist, Leeds Head and Neck Cancer Team

Tricia qualified as a nurse at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds in 1985. In 1989 she completed a cancer nursing certificate with Leeds College of Health, and a Diploma in Professional Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University in 1994. She has specialized in cancer nursing since 1986, and head and neck cancer nursing in particular since 1991 when she worked as a research nurse on the CHART head and neck trial. Whilst doing this job she noticed the supportive care needs of patients with head and neck cancer were not being met, and made a business case for a nurse specialist post to develop services. This post was funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief in 1994, supported by Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Tricia has held this post ever since.

Tricia has received several awards for her work in developing services for head and neck cancer patients:
United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Nursing Practice Development Award 1994
Nursing Standard Award for Cancer Nursing 1996
Nursing Times/3M Award for Innovation in Nursing Practice 1996
Yorkshire Young Achiever Award 1996

Tricia has a strong interest in research, and in 1999 was awarded a Research Training Award and completed an MSc in Health Research with Distinction in 2004 at Leeds University. She has published several research papers and articles. She is author of a textbook Head and Neck Oncology Nursing (Whurr Publishers 2000).

Tricia was President of the Leeds Cancer Nursing Society from 1990 to 2001. She is a member of the British Association of Head & Neck Oncology Nurses, being a committee member from 1999 onwards, and being Chair from 2002 to 2005. She currently runs the BAHNON website.

Outside work, Tricia is a keen musician playing the piano and saxophone. She loves running, hill walking in the Yorkshire Dales, scuba diving, and skiing.