Sheryl signs off with a Lifetime Achievement Award

A recently retired Swansea Bay cardiorespiratory physiologist has been recognised for her long and distinguished service to the care of children and families affected by heart disease through a major award.

Miss Sheryl Morris, Senior Chief Cardiorespiratory Physiologist, who recently retired from SBUHB after more than 45 years of service at Singleton Hospital’s Cardiology Department, now holds a British Society of Echocardiography Lifetime Achievement Award.

The British Society of Echocardiography presents the Lifetime Achievement Award annually to recognise members who have contributed significantly, and demonstrated outstanding achievements and longevity, within the field of echocardiography.

Dr Geraint Morris, Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Apprenticeship Lead and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Swansea University Medical School, said Sheryl had been widely acknowledged as “an expert” in her field who had always gone “above and beyond” to do an “immeasurably large amount of good” for those in her care, stating he couldn’t think of anyone more “deserving” of the award, labelling it “a fitting gesture to mark the end of a career of which she can be extremely proud.”

Dr Morris said: “I can’t imagine that anyone deserves this more than she does, and we think this will be a fitting gesture to mark the end of a career of which she can be extremely proud, and during which she did an immeasurably large amount of good to the children, young people, and families under her care.

“Sheryl worked tirelessly as an NHS Cardiorespiratory Physiologist in Swansea for more than 45 years and developed expertise in paediatric echocardiography.

“She trained in Swansea and in Cardiff and started offering a paediatric echocardiography service in the late 1990s. Since then, Sheryl has been widely acknowledged as an expert in this skill among local and tertiary paediatric cardiology colleagues.

“Sheryl has always gone above and beyond in her post, from providing biscuits and refreshments for clinical colleagues in outpatient clinics, to staying on, well beyond her working hours, to ensure children who require urgent investigations get them, and acting, in many instances, as a conduit between clinical teams.

“It would be impossible to adequately assess the magnitude of the amassed hours that Sheryl has put into her job – finishing reports, replying to emails, and preparing for clinics, often alone in the department, when others have long gone home. Suffice to say that it has not gone unnoticed and her colleagues of all grades and disciplines are very grateful to her.

“Despite some significant health problems, Sheryl has seldom had any time off work. She is extremely resilient, and her dogged determination to complete all her duties to a high standard has never left a task unfinished. She has always, imperceptibly, booked annual leave to ‘suit’ the clinical work and has never begrudged the additional burden that this must have placed on her personal life.”

Dr Morris praised Sheryl for being a constant within the service over the years.

He said: “During times of rapid changes in healthcare, including transitions between clinicians, Sheryl is the one constant that her young patients have been able to recognise and expect to see in their hospital visits, from infancy to adulthood. Often patients, when explaining their histories, will address her, not so much the clinician in the room!”

Her contribution to the children’s service was recognised in the Health Board’s Chairman’s Awards Ceremony on 5th July 2018 with a Highly Commended award in recognition of her outstanding work.

Sheryl also played a role in shaping future careers.

Dr Morris said: “With the high number of young paediatric trainees who worked in the paediatric and neonatal services at Swansea, inevitably some developed an interest in paediatric cardiology and Sheryl was instrumental in teaching them echocardiography, and many of these have gone on to become consultants in various parts of the world, retaining the skills that Sheryl taught them.

“More recently, Sheryl has taught all our current excellent team of paediatric physiologists, from beginner level through to passing their European Accreditation Examination in paediatric echocardiography.”

Dr Morris added that Sheryl had proved to be the ‘model’ work colleague over the years.

He said: “On top of all her work-related achievements, she has been an extremely pleasant and agreeable colleague – she has never said a word in anger. She can be firm when needed but never crossed that professional line with her own feelings or views. Indeed, she has always been very cheerful, and her lovely smile has an uplifting effect on all around her.”

The award came out of the blue for Sheryl.

She said: “Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was a total surprise.

“I have been fortunate to have had a career that I have thoroughly enjoyed-particularly echocardiography. I have a lot of people to thank over the years for getting me to this point - too many to mention.

“I particularly want to thank all my colleagues who took the time to nominate me for this award as they thought I was deserving of it. I am truly overwhelmed and touched.

“This is the ‘icing on the cake’ of my career. Thank you so much. Diolch yn fawr!”