Dozens of NHS, nursing and midwifery staff across the UK have been awarded New Year Honours for their contributions and service to the healthcare profession.
The list includes former Royal College of Nursing (RCN) nurse of the year, Nicola Bailey who has been appointed an OBE.
Ms Bailey provided early medical abortions to women in Northern Ireland during the pandemic and has been part of a campaign to create safe zones around abortion clinics in the country to prevent patient harassment.
She said: ‘It is a great honour to be recognised for doing something that I feel passionately about. It showcases what nursing does as a profession and the difference we make to the lives of the people we care for.’
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Honours have also been awarded to multiple frontline doctors, nurses and hospital volunteers for their work with the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Jennifer Hall, director of nursing and clinical delivery for the NHS vaccination programme was amongst those frontline workers given an OBE for her outstanding work during the pandemic.
NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard thanked her staff for their hard work calling them skilled, compassionate and dedicated.
She said: ‘As the NHS heads into its 75th year, I am delighted to see the fantastic work of so many of my excellent health service colleagues reflected again in this year’s honours, including many for their work during the pandemic and the Covid-19 vaccination programme.’
In addition to these awards, several nursing staff were appointed MBE’s for their contribution to their nursing service including emergency nursing, neonatal care and older people’s care.
Among them were Elspeth Clegg, chief nurse for London; Morag Liddell, former senior charge nurse at the neonatal unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow; and Zebina Ratansi, director of nursing at Whipps Cross University Hospital.
RCN President Sheila Sobrany responded to the list saying that all recipients should be proud to be acknowledged.
She said: ‘They represent all those in the nursing workforce- in hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes and in the community who act with the greatest of skill and professionalism for all those in their care.’