David Burrows: Making some noise for our unsung heroes

The NHS has been such a thing for many years, but at the moment it is getting more of a kicking than a football fan trying ill-advised banter with Eric Cantona (ooh, topical!). "Failing" hospitals, backdoor privatisation, staff abusing the system - it's all been in the headlines in the last few weeks.

So how refreshing to find someone making headlines for, as far as they are concerned, simply doing their job.

It is easy to forget that behind the news there are thousands of men and women - many of them woefully underpaid given that their jobs involve saving or improving people's lives - who just want to do their best for their patients. People to whom working in the NHS is not just a job, but a vocation.

One such person is cancer nurse Sue Lovett, who works on Ward 21 at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The 54-year-old has been praised by colleagues for going the extra mile in her job. But more importantly, she has been recognised by the family of one of her patients.

Sue is in line for the prestigious Patient's Choice Award in the Nursing Standard Nurse Awards. She is one of only four people from around the country in the running for the award and was nominated by the wife of one of the people she looked after.

The act of kindness which got Sue the nomination was to move heaven and earth to ensure patient Richard Jacobs to go home to have a Sunday dinner with his family. Richard had lost the use of his legs and the sight in his right eye and had just weeks to live.

Sue wanted to get him home for a few hours to spend some time with his family - coincidentally Richard's sister, who lives abroad, was in the middle of a week's trip to visit him - but faced a battle with the site manager, who insisted that it was not appropriate for him to have transport for a short visit home.

Sue insists she was "just doing my job" and shuns praise because she works as "part of a team" any of whom she believes are deserving of the award.

But Richard's wife Amanda says Sue was "unbelievably kind and empathetic".

Two weeks after that special Sunday lunch, Richard sadly lost his fight for life.

"I will never be able to express my thanks sufficiently to Sister Sue for going the extra mile and recognising the huge importance the visit home that day would have for us," says Amanda.

And that says everything.

Behind the headlines, behind the politics, there are thousands of people like Sue. We should remember that - and thank them every day.

• To vote for Sue go to www.patients-choice.co.uk or call 0845 653 0195. Voting closes on April 25.