Vanessa was a paediatric and general trained nurse with 40 years' experience of working in the NHS. Most of her work was in the frontline services managing wards in hospitals, but latterly she managed a children's Plastic Surgery Ward before she became a Nurse Consultant and the Clinical Director of a Cleft Lip and Palate Service which covered the East Midland's Region. She won the Royal College of Nursing/Nursing Standard 'Nurse of the Year 2000' award for her work with families of children with cleft lip and palate. She was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal College of Nursing for her work with the Westminster Government Steering Committee setting standards and monitoring the National re-organisation of Cleft Services and for her role in developing a specialist course for nurses working in the field.
