NURSE Julie Young has become a hero among her colleagues after saving them from a life of occupational aches and pains.

Julie, 52, of Verulam Close, Coleview, turned inventor a year ago to create a kneeling rest, sparing her the knee and back pain which often comes part and parcel with life as a community nurse.

Now the JuleCush is to become an essential piece of kit for every Swindon community nurse – and other primary care trusts are catching on too.

“The girls keep saying, ‘when are we getting the cushions Julie?’ I don’t think they can get here quick enough.

“So many of us feel the wear and tear of constant kneeling down on our knees so to know the solution is just around the corner is pretty exciting.”

Constant kneeling down and leaning on the back of the legs can cause muscle strain, back problems and severe knee problems.

The JuleCush design is in production through Lancashire-based occupational aid company Able2 and consists of two wedge-shaped cushions, one to be knelt on and one to be sat on simultaneously to take the pressure off the knees, legs and lower back.

The cushions mould around the user’s knees to create minimum impact on the patella and the lower back. Each JuleCush – named partly after Julie and the design’s dual cushions – are stored in their own bag, meet infection control regulations and can be machine washed.

Julie came up with the idea after surgery on her back following years of kneeling down to bandage ankles and treat lower leg wounds and is hoping to dish the cushions out to her colleagues by the end of the month.

She said: “I wanted to make the design as simple as possible.

“I have been using my prototype for the last year and I haven’t had the slightest pain. It has been wonderful.

“Knee damage is just par for the course in this job but I don’t see why PCTs should have to fork out for time of sick through surgery or compensation when this could prevent it all.”

The JuleCush is expected to retail for around £79 with reductions for bulk buying. Examples are being tried and tested in trusts across the country including Pembrokeshire, Lancashire and Suffolk.

But while the JuleCush may seem to be taking off, Julie has yet to see a penny from her brainwave.

She said: “I don’t mind that I am not raking it in.

“The fact is I could be helping my colleagues avoid the knee and back problems that come with years as a community nurse. That’s worth it in itself.”

Dr Liz Mearns, who chairs the Professional Executive Committee at NHS Swindon, said: “We have some exceptional staff here in Swindon and are particularly impressed when one of our colleagues recognises a problem and uses their own imitative to solve it.

“Julie has clearly thought outside of the box and come up with a simple but effective solution that can protect the knees of staff, such as nurses and community matrons, all over the country.”