Alcohol Liaison Clinical Nurse Specialist at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

Some NHS stories are told in data and targets. Cristina Szentes’s story is told in lives reclaimed.

As an Alcohol Liaison Clinical Nurse Specialist at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, Cristina has transformed the care pathway for patients experiencing acute alcohol dependency, combining clinical expertise with tireless advocacy to ensure individuals receive the right support at the right time. She works seamlessly across organisational boundaries, forging strong partnerships with community services and voluntary sector providers to deliver truly integrated, person-centred care.

Cristina’s impact is best illustrated through the life-changing outcomes she enables, captured in one patient’s story: After a long history of repeated alcohol-related admissions and serious health complications, Cristina supported the individual into residential rehabilitation – a critical turning point that changed everything. The individual has since achieved sustained sobriety and credited the alcohol nurse as their “saving grace.” It is a phrase that says everything about the difference one dedicated nurse can make, and a powerful testament to Cristina’s compassion, determination, and unwavering belief in her patients.

Beyond individual cases, Cristina has been instrumental in establishing and developing the Trust’s alcohol liaison service, improving pathways, reducing avoidable admissions, and supporting long-term recovery across the system. Her work not only transforms lives but also delivers meaningful impact for the wider NHS through reduced demand on emergency and inpatient services.

“The Alcohol Care Team exemplifies the very best of the NHS — improving outcomes, restoring dignity, and creating opportunities for lasting change,” Cristina says. “Moving beyond a purely medical model, the team recognise the wider determinants of health and empower individuals to believe they deserve safety, recovery, and hope.”

That philosophy — seeing the whole person, not just the presenting condition — sits at the heart of the 10 Year Health Plan’s vision: a shift from treating sickness to building health, and from hospital dependency to community-based, preventative support. In Cristina’s hands, that vision is not a policy aspiration. It is a daily practice.