The unsung heroes who gave us back our health

A horrific Jeep crash had left the Oxford-educated founder of travel website Lastminute.com with a shattered pelvis, a chunk of flesh missing from her leg and massive internal bleeding. So extreme were her injuries that surgeons had to spend a week rebuilding her body using metal inserts and bone grafts.

Today, the only visible legacy of the accident is her stylish walking cane. Her orthopaedic surgeon says he is amazed by her progress. Her recovery has not been without intense physical pain. But this pain, she reveals, was relieved by the compassion of her NHS nurses.

And for the first time in public, the 35-year-old pays tribute personally to the women who cared for her during the year she spent in Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital recovering.

"I will never forget the incredible kindness and compassion of some of the dedicated nurses who looked after me," she says. "From the first days in intensive care through to the fine tuning operations that I have needed recently, I have met some extraordinary people.

"There was Sadie in the John Radcliffe intensive care unit who talked of her family in Malaysia and told me hilarious stories, always reassuring, always calm even when I became aware of the ventilator I was attached to.

"There was Jenna, in the infirmary, who always washed and then tied my hair in crazy shapes and made me look funky even when I was unable to move one limb.

"There was Jenifer, head of the rehabilitation unit where I learned to walk, who knew every detail of every patient on her ward and never took anything other than the highest levels of cleanliness and real attention to detail as acceptable.

"Finally, there was Jacky, who looked after me at home and despite some extremely difficult and intimate moments, never made me feel anything less than a dignified and loved young woman."

Lane Fox finds it painful to dwell on the accident which had a dramatic impact on her life and in her own words nearly "totalled" her.

As the queen of the Nineties dotcom boom, she had lived her life to extremes, sometimes working 21-hour days. Her efforts paid off with a £15 million fortune and a reputation as a role model for a new breed of entrepreneur.

Five months after she sold Lastminute.com, Lane Fox took a holiday in Morocco with boyfriend Chris Gorrell Barnes. The trip was intended to mark the start of her new future.

But the open-top Mitsubishi Jeep in which they were passengers swerved on a wet patch of road near the tourist resort of Essaouira. Lane Fox was not wearing a seat-belt and the force of the crash propelled her out of the vehicle on to a rock. It is astounding that she survived. Her arm was broken and the trauma was so severe she suffered a major stroke. Friends and family chartered a special plane to bring her home but it had to travel at low altitude - big changes in cabin pressure would have killed her.

Her surgeon Richard Keys and his team spent days operating on her. Bits of bone were floating around inside her body and Lane Fox had to take morphine to relieve the pain. The transition from being a highly independent woman to an invalid was a shock. Confined to her hospital bed, she was helpless and reliant on others even to wash her hair. A whole day would be devoted to just trying to work out how to lift her arm an inch off the bed or attempting to manoeuvre a grape into her mouth, experiences she describes as "humbling". Her network of friends and family were invaluable.

But she has been particularly moved by the nurses who for the past four-and-a-half-years have "watched and cared for" her in many different hospitals and situations. What has stayed with her is the realisation that it is the human touch of nurses which is so crucial in helping people recover from an accident or illness. She is passionate in her belief that nurses are the "lifeblood" of the NHS. This has inspired the former Westminster schoolgirl to fund a special grant to the Foundation of Nursing Studies, which is dedicated to supporting nurses and midwives to improve patient care. The money is being awarded through her new trust Antigone and will enable two nurses to pioneer innovative standards of care for patients.

Her personal experience of the NHS will also be invaluable in her role as judge for the NHS Champions awards which recognises NHS staff who offer care beyond the call of duty.

"I set up Antigone to support charities working with some of the most vulnerable people in the criminal justice and education sectors as well as health.

"It seems to me that too often we are discouraging the people who become nurses from engaging in the very care that as a patient you so desperately want and need. I wholeheartedly support any initiative that helps to bring the essence of nursing into focus and celebrates the truly unusual men and women who choose this profession."

www.antigone.org.uk

NOMINATE YOUR NHS CHAMPION

The NHS Champions awards are back - to pay tribute to London's dedicated healthcare professionals. They honour the courage, hard work and sacrifice of people who rarely get celebrated within the health service.

Independent think-tank The King's Fund is running the awards in association with the evening Standard and NHS London to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS. From paramedics to hospital porters, from ward sisters to consultants, these are the healthcare professionals who work untiringly on our behalf.

Many have risked their lives in dangerous situations such as the London bombings or provided comfort to seriously injured accident victims. You can help our judges decide the winners by nominating the staff you believe are the most deserving. Every eligible nominee will receive a certificate from The King's Fund and the evening Standard and shortlisted individuals will be invited to an awards ceremony in early December. The six finalists will all receive a special trophy from a distinguished panel of judges. Panel members include the BBC's George Alagiah and dotcom entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox who describe their lifesaving NHS experiences here.

Do you know an NHS champion? If so, this is your chance to give them the credit they deserve.

To make a nomination log on to www.nhschampions.org.uk

Or print off and send the form via Freepost to: NHS Champions, The King's Fund, Freepost 23 Ke3007, 11-13 Cavendish Square, London W1e 0AX.

The closing date for nominations is 16 October.