An NHS Lanarkshire manager has been awarded an MBE for her outstanding services to stroke care in Scotland.

Katrina Brennan, stroke MCN manager, has been given the prestigious award as part of the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

Katrina, who lives in Coatbridge with her husband Michael and two children Jena and Jack, began her nurse training at Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow in May 1985.

After qualifying as a nurse, Katrina worked in care of the elderly before quickly developing a deep interest in stroke care.

She was involved in the development of the stroke unit at Victoria Infirmary, before becoming senior charge nurse of the unit in 1991.

Katrina moved to NHS Lanarkshire in 2001 as a specialist stroke nurse. In 2007, she was appointed to the Stroke MCN Manager role.

In 2014, she was appointed as lead on the delivery of work on the Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan by the Scottish Government

Katrina said: “I am delighted to have been honoured in this way and feel that this honour is for the whole stroke team in NHS Lanarkshire and the wider stroke community in Scotland.

“Since coming to NHS Lanarkshire I have been supported by strong leaders who have encouraged me to take on this more demanding role and contribute in shaping stroke services.

“Hopefully will raise the profile of the work we do, which is striving to improve services for people who suffer a stroke.”

Katrina’s line manager, Colin Lauder, deputy director of strategic planning, said:  “Katrina’s colleagues in stroke care will all share with me our congratulations to her for receiving this much-deserved honour.

“Her work as a clinician in stroke medicine and in guiding improvements in stroke care across the whole of Scotland has touched many individual patients and their families, though they may not know it. This award goes some way to recognising her outstanding contribution to patient care.”