Birthday honours for Trust's matron for quality and consultant neurosurgeon
Winny Thomas, our matron for quality and BAME nurses and midwives network chair, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to nursing during Covid-19 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Winny, who qualified as an enrolled nurse in 1984, joined the Trust in 2008 and has held a number of different nursing and matron roles with us. In 2018, Winny co-founded the Trust’s BAME nurses and midwives network, taking over as chair in 2019. She has driven change within this group, ensuring there are opportunities for BAME colleagues to develop and generate platforms for them to share their work.
Speaking of receiving the British Empire Medal, Winny said: “I am happy to accept this award on behalf of all the nurses I stand shoulder to shoulder with and for the BAME nurses and midwives network at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Thank you to my family, friends and colleagues who have supported me through tough times and to Janice Sigsworth, our director of nursing.”
Professor Janice Sigsworth, director of nursing, said: “I’m extremely proud of Winny and we are all delighted she’s received this honour. During the pandemic, she has listened and advocated for others, particularly regarding BAME staff safety. She has continued all the activities to chair and champion the BAME agenda on top of her day job as our matron for quality and she has done this at all times with enthusiasm, passion and commitment.”
Consultant neurosurgeon Professor Mark Wilson, together with Ali Ghorbangholi, also received OBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for their services to charity, volunteering and the Covid-19 response. The GoodSAM platform they created, crowdsources resuscitation for cardiac arrest and is used around the world. It was adapted to recruit and manage 750,000 NHS volunteers during Covid-19 to help those isolating and shielding during lockdown. The platform is also providing video triage to 999 and 111 services across the UK.
Professor Mark Wilson, said: "There are so many staff across our hospitals who deserve recognition for their hard work in caring for our patients, so it is very humbling to be nominated on behalf of the GoodSAM community. The GoodSAM platform has advanced volunteering by enabling large numbers of people to volunteer in their community through technology. The platform is also radically changing 999 and 111 services by allowing instant location and video triage without the need for an app. By enabling more rapid and accurate decision making, we in turn provide better, more integrated care for our patients.”
