Published on 17 February 2026
A Clinical Nurse Specialist who has worked with the Cancer Alliance on a number of projects is a finalist for the British Journal of Nursing’s Oncology Nurse of the Year Award.
Emma Davey, a CNS in Palliative and Supportive Care, has been nominated for her incredible dedication to providing inclusive, personalised cancer care – and, in particular, her pioneering work on HIV and cancer.
She has worked with the Cancer Alliance on its current anal cancer awareness campaign and on other projects around HIV and cancer, including supporting our Health Inequalities and Patient Experience team.
After realising that people living with HIV were disproportionately affected by cancer – particularly as patients in need of palliative or supportive care – Emma, who works at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, found there was a significant gap in services tailored to the growing numbers ofpeople diagnosed with cancer who are also living with HIV..
Cancer now accounts for almost 50 per cent of expected deaths for people living with HIV. This is because modern HIV medicines mean many people now live long, healthy lives – around 50 per cent of people living with HIV in the UK are now aged over 50. As people age, they are more likely to develop cancer. People living with HIV also have a higher risk of developing some cancers.
Over the last few years, Emma has specialised in HIV oncology, providing dedicated support for HIV+ patients with cancer. She provides one-to-one support, ensuring their cancer medications are compatible with their HIV medicines and that there are strong links between their cancer team and HIV services also involved in their care.
Alongside this, her education, outreach and advocacy work – including speaking at community groups and major conferences – has driven greater understanding of HIV and cancer, both among people with HIV and health professionals.
She has developed guidance and training to help health professionals better understand the palliative and supportive cancer care needs of underserved groups, including the travelling community, expectant mothers, homeless people, prisoners and other detained people, trans and LGBT+ people, and those from minority ethnic groups. Emma is currently doing a PhD exploring methods for improving early detection rates of cancer in people living with HIV.
Emma said: “I feel very privileged to do this job and to be able to amplify the voices of people who aren’t always heard, particularly HIV+ people with cancer whose needs are often not recognised or met in healthcare. It’s so important that we make supportive oncology available to people who might not want or be able to come to us.
“I am very lucky to do a job that I still love after 25 years of nursing. You do a job like this for the patients, not for recognition, but it’s a really lovely cherry on the cake to be shortlisted for this award.”
The British Journal of Nursing Awards take place in London on Friday 20 March 2026.