Seven GPs have been recognised in the New Year’s honours list including those providing services for homeless people, rape and child abuse victims, and also the GP heading up the NHS’s national whistleblowing guardian service.
Dr Zahid Chauhan, an Oldham GP and local councilor, was awarded an OBE for ’services to homeless people’ through the establishment of charity Homeless-Friendly, which provides healthcare to patients who do not have a permanent home.
Dr Chauhan said he was ‘humbled’ to receive the recognition but stressed that he wishes his services were ‘not needed’.
Dr Henrietta Hughes, who is the National Guardian for the NHS, received an OBE, as did London GP Dr Victoria Brown and Dr Andrew Leach, a GP in Worcestershire, their ’services to general practice’.
Meanwhile, Dr Nalini Modha, a GP at Thistlemoor Medical Centre in Peterborough, was awarded an MBE for ’services to the NHS’ for her work as a police surgeon working with hundreds of rape and child abuse victims.
She also introduced the concept of healthcare assistants in primary care, and pioneered work in extending the role of nurses to chronic disease work and minor illness.
Other GPs included on the honours list are Professor John Campbell, professor of general practice and primary care at the University of Exeter, who received an MBE for ’services to general practice’.
Professor Campbell said: ‘I’m extremely honoured and humbled to be receiving this award for my work in primary care. Through my work, I’m committed to the mission of improving the quality of patient experience of NHS primary care services.’
Professor John Howarth, a GP in Cumbria and deputy chief executive for the North Cumbria integrated care foundation trust, also accepted an MBE for ’services to general practice and the NHS’.
Additionally, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens was awarded a knighthood for ’services to health and the NHS in England’.
Humbled to be appointed by her Majesty the Queen as an officer of the order of the British empire (OBE) for my services to homeless people. I wish, we lived in a society where these services were not needed but our battle continues. Thank you to my family, friends & volunteers. pic.twitter.com/r9JkqqhItR
— Zahid Chauhan (@ChauhanZahid) December 27, 2019
Huge congratulations to our joint Honorary Secretaries @VictoriaTzB and @Jonathanleach13 who have been awarded OBEs for their services to general practice in the #NewYearsHonours
— RCGP (@rcgp) December 28, 2019
