Leaders from across the world of healthcare received the highest accolades in this year’s New Years Honours. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, Deputy Jonathan Van Tam receive knighthoods and Health Security Agency CEO, Dr Jenny Harries and former Medicines Regulator MHRA CEO, Dr June Raine become Dames.
All four healthcare leaders are regularly featured next to the Prime Minister or Secretary of State providing analysis on the pandemic response and reassurance to an often-worried public. Since 2020, most people have come to recognise the health officials and implemented their guidance. They have literally saved thousands of lives as a result.
Politicians who received honours include Tony Blair, who was appointed to the Order of the Garter, longstanding Herefordshire MP, Bill Wiggin, former Transport Minister Robert Goodwill and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Sylvia Heal. Tom Daley, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo in the summer, was appointed OBE for services to “diving, LGBTQ+ rights and charity” and journalist Trevor Phillips was knighted for services to equality and human rights.
In total, this year saw more than 1,200 people receive an accolade which ranges from the Companion of Honour and the Order of the Bath, through knighthoods and damehoods, to CBEs, OBEs, MBEs, and the BEM. In total, 47.9% of recipients are women and 15.1% of recipients are from an ethnic minority background. The Government said this made it “for the fourth time running, the most ethnically diverse honours list to date”.
The oldest person on this year’s list is 102-year-old magician Henry Lewis from London, appointed MBE for his work with the Magic Circle. The youngest is 11-year-old Tobias Weller who has cerebral palsy and autism. He was awarded a BEM and is thought to be the youngest ever recipient.
To review the full list of recipients, visit the Cabinet Office website here.
Final Thought:
In a year of ups and downs in respect of the pandemic response, healthcare leaders have gone above and beyond to keep people safe. Regulating new medicines that have slashed the Covid-19 death rate and opening new healthcare services to support the ongoing care of people with Covid. Jenny, Chris and Jonathan have become household names throughout the pandemic, providing reassurance and lifesaving advice. Their service to the UK has been extraordinary and the whole nation are unified in their thanks to all those in the public services.
