A district nurse has been honoured with a top award from the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Leigh Hewitt, a district nurse and clinical educator at East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), has been awarded the Philip Goodeve-Docker memorial prize by the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

It is offered to the most outstanding district nursing students in every university in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Alongside his current role, Mr Hewitt studied for the Specialist Practice District Nursing degree course at the University of Suffolk, where his work was recognised as being “exceptional".

Having worked for ECCH since its inception in 2011, his current role sees him work across ECCH’s Primary Care Home teams to support GP practices in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Leigh Hewitt was awarded the Philip Goodeve-Docker Memorial Prize. Picture: ECCHLeigh Hewitt was awarded the Philip Goodeve-Docker Memorial Prize. Picture: ECCH (Image: ECCH)

Mr Hewitt said: “I was very surprised but humbled to be awarded the Philip Goodeve-Docker Memorial Prize as a district nursing student.

"This is definitely a highlight of my career, it’s an honour to be recognised by the Queen’s Nursing Institute.”

ECCH’s executive director of operations, Adele Madin added: “We are incredibly proud of Leigh for achieving this well-deserved award."