Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith leads a group of over 20 people whose work and volunteering is recognised in today’s Queen's New Year Honours list published by the UK government.

Professor Smith is awarded a knighthood, as are the chief medical officers of all the UK nations.

Professor Smith told the BBC he was surprised and honoured:

“This means a huge amount to me, but it is a reflection of the work that a good number of us have undertaken during the course of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Over 80 people living in Scotland are on the list. Their honours range from Professor Smith’s knighthood to Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and recipients of the medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM).

A leading Scottish psychiatrist, Dr John Mitchell, receives the CBE for his work on mental health in Scotland as both a consultant psychiatrist in Glasgow and principal medical officer in the Scottish government.

Although he briefly retired, Dr Mitchell returned to the government full-time in response to the pandemic and to advise ministers on perinatal, early intervention and distress services.

Doctor Mitchell said:

“I am delighted to receive this honour, which reflects the importance of mental health in general, but especially in relation to the effect of the pandemic.”

Two other leading Scottish medics are recognised.

The Clinical Director of Health Protection Scotland, Dr Syed Ahmed – a long-time adviser at both Scottish and UK level on health protection, vaccination and immunisation – is awarded an OBE.

Professor John Forsythe, a former Edinburgh-based transplant surgeon and now Medical Director of UK Organ Donation and Transplantation, is also awarded an OBE.

 

The honours for people working and volunteering in health, social care and life sciences in full are:

In health

Professor Gregor Ian SMITH, Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government. Knighthood for services to Public Health

Dr John Ruthven MITCHELL Principal Medical Officer, Scottish Government. CBE for services to Improving Mental Health in Scotland

Dr Syed AHMED, Clinical Director, Health Protection Scotland. OBE for services to the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

Professor John Leslie Robert FORSYTHE, Medical Director, Organ Donation and Transplantation, NHS Blood and Transplant. OBE for services to Transplant Surgery and Covid-19

Helene Alexandra MARSHALL. OBE for services to Maternity Education in Scotland

Hilda CAMPBELL, Chief Executive, COPE Scotland. MBE for services to Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Community in Scotland during Covid-19

Dr Margaret Patricia ELLIS. MBE for services to Dementia Care and to the community in St Andrews, Fife

Paul John FAIRIE, Head of Operations, Lighthouse Laboratory Glasgow. MBE for services to the NHS during Covid-19

Dr AdaezeI FEZULIKE, General Practitioner. MBE for services to Health Inequalities in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities in Scotland

Anne Elizabeth DOHERTY. BEM for services to Yorkhill Children's Hospital and to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow

 

In social care and social work

Lorna WARD. MBE for services to Children's Hearings in Dundee

Alison CHRISTIE. BEM for services to the Aberdeen City Council Children's Panel

 

In the third sector

Paul Robert REDDISH, Chief Executive, Volunteering Matters and Chief Executive, ProjectScotland. OBE for services to the Voluntary and Community Sector during Covid-19

John David Vernon DENT. MBE for services to Veterans, Students and People with Disabilities

Sydney Robert HARRIS, Chairman, Festival of Brass and Voices. MBE for services to Community Music in Scotland and to Cancer Research UK

Heather Rose MORRISON. MBE for services to Dementia Services, to Scouting and to the Community in Aberdeenshire

Davina Mary MacInnes GILLIES. BEM for services to Marie Curie Cancer Care and the community in Inverness and Ross-shire

 

In life sciences

Professor Anne Elizabeth MAGURRAN FRSE, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Centre for Biological Diversity and the Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews. CBE for services to Biodiversity

Valerie COCKERELL, Lately, Chief Officer, Official Seed Testing Station for Scotland, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture. OBE for services to Scottish Agriculture

Professor Ailsa Jane HALL, Director of the Sea Mammal Research Unit, and Professor of Biology, University of St Andrews. OBE for services to Environmental Protection and Epidemiology.

Professor Nazira KARODIA, Lately Professor of Science Education, University of Wolverhampton. MBE for services to the Chemical Sciences

Elizabeth Sandra KINNEAR, Health, Safety and Sustainability Adviser, University of Edinburgh. BEM for services to the Environment and to Charity

 

Read More: CMO: Improve health by fixing welfare and education; Government appoints three new senior clinicians; NHS Scotland net zero target brought forward.

 

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