King’s birthday honours list: dozens of nurses receive awards
Front-line staff, community nurses, leaders, care home innovators, army nurses and educators are all among the many nurses honoured by King Charles
Dozens of nurses have been named in the King’s birthday honours list in recognition of their contribution to the profession and the health service.
Among those is front-line care home nurse Zoe Fry who bought a care home which later became the first service in West Sussex to be rated ‘outstanding’. Ms Fry is made an OBE for her services to social care and nursing.
The list gives royal recognition to the incredible public service of people across the UK and includes many nurses honoured for their selfless contributions. It comes amid a difficult year for nursing staff, dominated by high demand, workforce pressures and historic strike action.
Social care innovator recognised in King Charles’ inaugural birthday honours list
Ms Fry purchased the Valerie Manor care home, a small residential home for 15 patients in Steyning, in 2015 and soon expanded it to 23 beds.
While running the home, Ms Fry co-launched The Outstanding Society, a community network to support innovation and improvement in care across the UK. Ms Fry went on to sell Valerie Manor in 2021 to focus on that role full time.
She said: ‘I am incredibly proud that so many people believe that my contribution to the sector has been enough to make me deserving of an OBE medal. Since starting my career as a nurse, I have been dedicated to helping people across the UK and doing everything I can to contribute to a sector that supports creativity, innovative care and best practice for everyone accessing its services.
‘It means so much to be able to provide a voice for the sector and accept this prestigious honour on behalf of so many amazing colleagues who make a difference to people’s lives every day.’
Honours awarded for work in homeless and inclusion health, education and services to women and ethnic minorities
The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) congratulated its homeless and inclusion health programme lead and nurse practitioner at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust Kendra Schneller who received an MBE.
‘Kendra has done exceptional work for homeless and inclusion health nursing, in London and nationally, for many years. She embodies the value of community nursing to the health and well-being of all members of society,’ a QNI spokesperson said.
Elsewhere, University of Brighton vice chancellor and former nurse Debra Humphris has been honoured with a CBE for her services to education and the NHS, and RCN fellow Neslyn Watson-Druée has been made a dame for services to women and ethnic minorities.
After working for more than 20 years as a nurse in the NHS, Professor Humphris moved into higher education and helped shape the Health Care Evaluation Unit at St George’s Hospital Medical School, a precursor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
She was also pivotal in the educational developments introduced to support and recognise the potential of nurse specialists in the delivery of diabetes care.
RCN president praises ‘skill and dedication’ of nurses recognised by King Charles
Nursing leaders have also been recognised in the honours list, with NHS England chief nurse for the north west Hayley Citrine, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust chief nurse Elizabeth Rix, and NHS Highland lead advanced nurse practitioner Catherine Shaw all receiving recognition for their contribution to nursing.
Ms Rix’s career spans more than four decades, with nearly 15 years spent as chief nurse.
She said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be receiving an MBE. I can’t quite believe it really. For all those that I have worked with in the past, for all those that influenced me and made me the nurse I am thank you. For all those I am working with now and will work with in the future, this is for all of you. This is for our profession. I am overjoyed.’
RCN president Sheilabye Sobrany congratulated all the nurses receiving awards.
‘They should be enormously proud of their achievements. They represent the skill and dedication of all those in the profession who continue to step up for their patients every day of the week while facing continuing challenges and pressures,’ she said.
Army nurses among those honoured
Army nurses have also been recognised for their contribution to supporting defence personnel. Colonel Sharon Beatty has been given an OBE for her work as the principal adviser of health and well-being policy for the army.
A nurse of more than 30 years Col Beatty guided the army through the pandemic and, recognising the impact of COVID-19 on mental health from the outset, introduced and implemented a new supportive physical and mental health policy.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said: ‘These prestigious awards are testament to the talent and dedication of our armed forces and highlight the huge range of skills and talents across our brave personnel.’
Nurses named in King Charles’ first birthday honours list
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
Neslyn Watson-Druée CBE, voluntary chair, Birmingham and Midlands Women Economic Forum. For services to women and ethnic minorities
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Debra Humphris, vice-chancellor, University of Brighton. For services to education and to the NHS
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Zoe Fry, director, Outstanding Society. For services to social care and nursing
Rhona Margaret Baillie, chief executive, Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, Glasgow. For services to palliative care and to the hospice movement
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Hayley Citrine, chief nurse North West, NHS England. For services to nursing
Elizabeth Rix, chief nurse, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. For services to nursing leadership
Kendra Schneller, homeless and inclusion health programme lead, Queen’s Nursing Institute and nurse practitioner, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. For services to homeless and inclusion health nursing
Catherine Shaw, lead advanced nurse practitioner for the rural support team, NHS Highland. For services to nursing in rural Scotland
Brenda Deocampo, ward sister acute medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. For services to nursing
Alison Ryland, nurse and head of healthcare, HM Prisons Usk and Prescoed, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. For services to prison healthcare in Monmouthshire
Barbara Johnson, director of nursing, Risedale Estates. For services to social care
Gary Mitchell, senior lecturer, school of nursing and midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to nursing and dementia care
Christine Norton, professor of clinical nursing research, Florence Nightingale faculty of nursing, midwifery and palliative care, King’s College London. For services to nursing research
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Catherine Bailey, nurse director for musculoskeletal services, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to nursing
Christine Culleton, community nurse, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. For services to the NHS in South East Wales
Jane De Groot, school nurse, Woldingham School, Caterham, Surrey. For services to nursing
Barbara Ewart, public health nurse. For services to the community in Northern Ireland
Lynette Kennedy, nurse consultant, learning disability, Camden Learning Disability Service, London Borough of Camden. For services to people with learning disabilities
Kate Cleland, interim ward sister, paediatric outpatient department and short stay paediatric assessment unit, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. For services to health and social care
Sherree Fagge, head of nursing palliative and end of life care, NHS England. For services to healthcare
Ann Norman, professional lead for criminal justice and learning disabilities, Royal College of Nursing. For services to healthcare access
David Harling, deputy director, learning disability nursing, NHS England and NHS Improvement. For services to the NHS and to people with learning disabilities, and to autistic people and their families
Louie Horne, senior matron and deputy associate director of nursing, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard clinical research fellow. For services to nursing
Paul Reeves, head of nursing for education and new roles, NHS England and NHS Improvement. For services to nursing
Diplomatic service – Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Suzanne Romero, clinical nurse manager, primary care centre, Gibraltar Health Authority, Gibraltar. For services to health in Gibraltar
Army nurses
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Colonel Sharon Beatty ARRC, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps for her work as the principal adviser of health and well-being policy for the army
Royal Red Cross associate
Staff Sergeant Lindsey Collinson, made an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, Second Class (ARRC). For her work as an intensive care unit specialist nurse
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Warrant Officer Class 1 Robbie Beech. For his work as the inaugural defence specialist advisor for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) medicine
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