A nurse who developed specialist treatment to manage the pain of the UK’s most severely injured servicemen and women is a finalist for a prestigious award.

Sarah Lewis, 43, who works at Headley Court, near Epsom - the country’s largest defence rehabilitation centre - has been nominated for the Defence Nursing Award as part of the Nurse of the Year Awards.

Many of Ms Lewis’s patients have returned from service in Afghanistan and Iraq with terrible injuries, including traumatic amputations.

Before her service began in 2012, up to 80 per cent of them were trying to cope with such severe pain that their rehabilitation was jeopardised.

Her service provides each patient with pain-relief, in a variety of ways, tailored to their needs - with approaches including medication and acupuncture.  Their quality of life has improved as a result and their rehabilitation has been more successful.  

The awards ceremony will be held in London on Friday, May 9.