OBE FOR PIONEERING SURGEON FARAH
NHS heroes, scientists, academics, sporting stars and community volunteers are all included in the latest New Year’s Honours List.
In Swansea, Professor Farah Bhatti, 55, the first British woman of Pakistani heritage to be appointed as a consultant cardiac surgeon in the UK, received an OBE.
And Swansea City footballing legend Alan Curtis, 66, was awarded an MBE for his services to Welsh football.
In Cardiff, Professor Anthony Campbell, of the Cardiff University School of Pharmacy, received a CBE for services to biochemistry.
And the work of the Brecon Beacons Mountain rescue team is recognised with an MBE to policeman Richard Paskell.
Judi Rhys, chief executive of Tenovus Cancer Care, was awarded an MBE for services to the voluntary sector.
And Carol Doggett, Senior Matron, Intensive Care, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, received an MBE for services to Leadership and Nursing Care for Intensive Care Patients and Staff, particularly during Covid-19.
Professor Farah Naz Kausar Bhatti, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, received her OBE for services to Diversity in the NHS in Wales.
Prof Bhatti, 55, was the first female cardiac surgeon and first Muslim woman to be elected as a council member of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) England.
In 2007, she was appointed as a consultant cardiac surgeon at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
Prof Bhatti was born in Birmingham and brought up in south London.
“It is absolutely wonderful to be recognised for the work I do in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be a cardiac surgeon and to also work towards creating a fairer environment where everyone can thrive.
“I feel overwhelmed at receiving this honour, and would like to dedicate my OBE to my parents, who are the real heroes of my story.”
Prof Bhatti read medicine at Somerville College at Oxford and completed her clinical training at Jesus College and Addenbrooke’s
Hospital in Cambridge.
Currently, Prof Bhatti is the equality and diversity lead for the graduate entry medicine programme at Swansea University Medical School.
She is chair of the Women in Surgery Forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, as well as an elected council member for the organisation.
Her other roles include student engagement lead for the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland and Wales chair for the Medical Women’s Federation.
Prof Bhatti is also part of the GMC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum and the NHS BAME Clinical Advisory Forum.
Swansea City hero Alan Curtis will be a popular recipient of the MBE.
Mr Curtis retired from coaching duties at Swansea City last year to take up a new role as honorary club president.
One of the greatest players in Swansea’s history, he filled numerous off-field roles at the club.
Carol Doggett, senior matron in
intensive care at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, accepted her MBE on behalf of NHS staff and coronavirus patients who were treated in intensive care.
The hospital has come under significant pressure from rising cases of coronavirus in south Wales and Dr Keith Reid, the health board’s director of public health, warned earlier this month of a “catastrophic situation” by January if infection rates did not fall.
In one 48-hour period in midDecember, 14 patients died with Covid-19 at Morriston Hospital. There were also family tragedies, with several members of the same family becoming critically ill and requiring admission to the intensive care unit.
Carol also saw 13 members of her staff become patients on the intensive care unit, as well as three of their partners.
Mrs Doggett, 51 and from Ystradgynlais, has been nursing since 1987, after training in the old Llanelli General Hospital. She said: “I am overwhelmed by this award and recognition. I accept it on behalf of all the staff from critical care and other departments who stepped up and supported the enormity of the first wave and on behalf of all the patients we nursed with Covid in ITU.”
At the onset of the pandemic, Mrs Doggett was tasked with expanding the critical care capacity for Swansea from 28 beds to 117 within three weeks, in addition to her daytime role.
She trained a cohort of 156 staff redeployed from operating theatres and other parts of the hospital to deliver critical care nursing within two weeks. She ensured that 13 members of staff who became patients on the intensive care unit received the same high level of care and support as others.
Professor Anthony Campbell CBE, of the Cardiff University School of Pharmacy, has made his mark with revolutionary work on medical diagnosis, all inspired by a jellyfish.
Born in Bangor in 1945, he moved to Cardiff as a lecturer in medical biochemistry at the then Welsh National School of Medicine in 1970 starting off his long career.
Some of his most renowned work with colleagues now helps millions of people across the world each year.
Prof Campbell, now living in Pembrokeshire, discovered that bioluminescence in animals, such as jellyfish, could be put to practical medical use in humans sparked by his “fascination” with the phenomenon.
Mr Campbell said he was “thrilled” to be honoured. He said: “All of my career has been dominated by this phenomenon of animals and other organisms that produce light, and I think it’s a wonderful story.”
He added: “When I started my career 50 years ago I never imagined this. I’m still an active scientist and I’ve never retired, but I’m not that young now so I wasn’t expecting to get any honours. But when you have a passion for something you don’t give it up.”
Sara Pepper, Director of Creative Economy at Cardiff University, received an OBE for her work.
She said: “I am honoured to receive this OBE for services to the creative economy. It is such a positive acknowledgement of the crucial role that the creative economy plays in Wales and across the UK, both at this moment and going forwards.
“It is testament to the ever-evolving creative sector in the region and to the skills, expertise and commitment of colleagues with whom I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with.”
Richard Paskell MBE, is part of the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and was recognised for services to Mountain Rescue and to the community in South Wales.
Mr Paskell is a 43-year-old detective with South Wales Police and a dad-of-four. He was “absolutely gobsmacked” when he found out he was to receive his honour.
He’s been a police officer for 25 years and started volunteering when he was just a teenager.
“I’m gobsmacked, just completely blown away,” he said. “It’s incredible. Volunteering has always been a part of me so I didn’t see it as anything different.”
Judi Rhys MBE, chief executive of Tenovus Cancer Care, has also been chief executive at Cancer Research Wales, Arthritis Care and British Liver Trust, as well as having senior roles in the MS Society and Diabetes UK and being a non-executive director of Public Health Wales and Sport Wales. She spoke out during the pandemic to try to ensure the treatment of cancer patients did not suffer.
Judi, from Cardiff, said: “I am absolutely delighted. It has been a real privilege to work in and with a number of health-related charities over the past 14 years and to try and make a positive impact on the lives of others.”
Vicki Broad, Head of Long Term Care, Hywel Dda University Health Board, received a BEM for services to the NHS in Wales during the Covid19 Response. Ms Broad, 52, who lives in Neath, said: “I still feel really shocked. It’s extremely humbling to have something like this and I didn’t expect it at all. I have worked in the NHS for 26 years and I’ve had the privilege of working with such passionate and dedicated people.”
“Over the Covid pandemic I have led and worked with a team of nurses co-ordinating the mass Covid testing at the independent care homes.
“That included 185 care homes across west Wales and over 10,000 tests on vulnerable residents within the care homes.
“It was a massive undertaking for us. The team was just fantastic and they were so dedicated while risking their own health.
“We didn’t think it was doable but we got through in excess of 10,000 tests.”
Ms Broad, who has worked at Hywel Dda health board for the last five years of her career, said that she will “share” her British Empire Medal with her colleagues.
“Everyone I’ve worked with this year has made me really proud,” she added. “This medal I will share with every single one of them. It’s been a team effort and it’s a team award.
“I accept the medal but if I could take a little piece of it and give it to everyone I would.”