NHS staff and other Covid heroes recognised in new year honours

Frontline workers overshadow famous names on list of gongs

Staff at William Harvey Hospital in Kent join in applause to salute local heroes in April (PA)

NHS employees, care staff and charity workers are at the forefront of this year’s new year honours list.

Among the famous names to receive gongs this year, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and cinematographer Roger Deakins were both given knighthoods, while there was a damehood for actor Sheila Hancock – who said she felt “slightly miscast”.

In politics, the former Conservative attorney general Geoffrey Cox received a knighthood, despite causing controversy in 2019 by advising the government it was legal to prorogue parliament – a move later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.

However, the famous names were overshadowed by people who stepped up to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Some 65 per cent of recipients – including NHS staff and those looking out for the wellbeing of frontline workers – were given awards for outstanding work in their community.

There were also gongs for people striving to combat homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health problems during the crisis, including Kim Leadbeater – sister of murdered MP Jo Cox – who becomes an MBE for her efforts to tackle social isolation.

“I would have much preferred for my sister to be here carrying on the work she started on loneliness and so much else, but while this is sadly a bittersweet moment for our family, I know that Jo would be extremely proud,” she said.

Catherine Fitzsimmons, a 62-year-old palliative care nurse, was given a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work in Greater Manchester after she came out of retirement at the peak of the first wave in April. “I felt I couldn’t sit at home while my colleagues would be struggling with unprecedented situations,” she said.

The nurse added: “I feel very extremely honoured and very emotional, because I’m just a small cog in the amazing machine across the NHS.” Ms Fitzsimmons also said it had been “very, very hard” not to hug Covid patients during their suffering, and she learnt to “smile with her eyes” as she cared for victims of the disease and their families.  

Emma Henderson, 47, was given an MBE for setting up the Project Wingman initiative – which saw NHS staff provided with practical support like food, drink and emotional support. The airline pilot said she and her colleagues had wanted to “wrap our arms around the NHS” during the crisis. “The gratitude that we were shown was really overwhelming and very humbling.”

Research scientists developing vaccines and effective therapies received gongs as well. Professor Wendy Bickmore, head the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Human Genetics Unit, was honoured for her work identifying genes that put some at greater risk of developing serious Covid-19 symptoms.

Others were praised and recognised for their work helping people in poverty in the aftermath of the outbreak. Nadeem Khan, 40, was given a BEM for his work leading housing charity Shelter’s emergency services for homeless people across Britain in the months after the pandemic hit – all while working from a rooftop in Pakistan, where he was visiting family.

“The rooftop was the only place I could get a signal, and I was helping people 5,000 miles away,” said Mr Khan, whose younger brother died in April. “I was difficult because I couldn’t be here to mourn. But I had to focus – I had to make sure I was there for the thousands of people who needed us.”

Ocado chief executive Mel Smith was made a CBE for services to the food supply chain during the pandemic after the brand dramatically boosted capacity.

The oldest person on the list is Anne Baker, 106, from Wiltshire, who receives an MBE for her NSPCC fundraising efforts. Ms Baker – who described her award as a “great surprise” – was forced to take her coffee morning fundraising efforts online by the lockdown.

She said: “We couldn’t hold it this year but we still managed to raise £4,000 instead of having our usual party, so we were pleased and grateful to everyone who contributed to that.”

This year’s new year honours list is the most diverse to date, the Cabinet Office said. Some 49 per cent of those honoured are women, 14.2 per cent come from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, while 6.9 per cent of those on the list have a disability.