Honours for police chief and surgeon
ARETIRED surgeon and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary’s Deputy Chief Constable were recognised in the delayed Queen’s Honours List.
Dr Gurpreet Singh, a former urological surgeon at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, was awarded an MBE while fellow Southport resident DCC Chris Armitt received an OBE.
Dr Singh has more than 25 years’ experience in general and neuro-urology and has been a non-executive director of the trust board since 2018. In an active medical career, he was an executive member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons where he helped write the curriculum for functional and neuro-urology.
He was also chair of the surgical specialty group for urology for the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, leading on patient safety and training. Active in the field of medical research, he has published more than 150 peer-reviewed studies and articles.
Dr Singh has also been a champion of diversity in medicine, including through the General Medical Council diversity forum, improving diverse representation on fitness to practice panels, promoting standards for international medical graduates, and fairness in examination outcomes.
After receiving the award for Services to Healthcare, Equality and Fairness, he said: “I am hugely humbled to receive this award. I want to thank everyone who has worked with me over the years to make change for the better on the issues I care about.”
Trust chair Neil Masom added: “The board and entire trust offers their heartiest congratulations to Gurpreet for this richly-deserved award.
“Promoting greater equality and diversity in the NHS is a subject close to Gurpreet’s heart. He believes passionately that the NHS should be representative of the entire community it serves.”
DCC Armitt joined the CNC in July 2015 after a 25-year career with Merseyside Police, having joined as a PC in 1989.
During his varied career, Chris has fulfilled a wide range of operational roles including leading the Basic Command Units at St Helens and Toxteth. He also has extensive experience in managing public order situations and was one of the first officers nationally to complete the Advanced Public Order Commander Programme.
In 2014, he was seconded to Gwent Police to fulfil the role of Gold Commander for the policing and security of the NATO Summit. In June 2015, he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.
Speaking after the announcement, DCC Armitt said: “Being recognised in this way is totally unexpected and I feel immensely privileged and humble about this award. Most police officers will tell you they are just doing their job and I am no different.
“During all of my service I have worked with some amazing people and I see this award as a recognition of the team effort in many different operational settings and environments.
“My father was a police officer, as was my wife, who has just retired at the end of her service, and one of my sons is still currently serving as a PC, so there is a strong policing tradition in my family and I hope they feel as proud as I do.”