Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018: West Midlands medics honoured
- Published
Veronica Donovan has more than 30 years of service within the NHS
A "pioneering" midwife and a plastic surgeon helping children with limb deformities are to be made OBEs.
West Midlands-based Veronica Donovan and Ruth Lester have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Mrs Donovan, from Birmingham Women's Hospital, has changed "countless lives" since she joined in 1999.
Miss Lester developed a specialist service at the city's children's hospital which has helped thousands of patients.
Mrs Donovan, now a consultant midwife, was only the second midwife in the country to independently undertake the procedure of amniocentesis - the screening for fetal abnormality.
The mother-of-three said she was "both thrilled and amazed to have received this honour".
Despite retiring, Miss Lester works closely with the hand and upper limb team
Since 2000, Miss Lester has grown the Children's Hospital's multi-disciplinary service, combining orthopaedic surgeons, neurologists, radiologists, geneticists, therapists, psychologists and others in one place, to improve the care of patients with hand and upper limb issues.
'Inspirational children'
She also set up dedicated camps for those with congenital hand conditions and the Children's Hands and Arms (CHARMS) charity.
"I've spent years simply doing a job I thoroughly enjoy, and the true superheroes are the inspirational children and young people I have cared for," she said.
Four members of staff at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust have also been awarded honours.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ashok Roy has been made an OBE, while Alex Cotton, senior practitioner for the street triage team, and Carol Peckham, general manager for integrated community services, have been awarded MBEs.
Marie Tait, a healthcare assistant with more than 40 years' service to the NHS, was conferred with a British Empire Medal (BEM).
Meanwhile, Sutton Coldfield-based Professor Sue Hill, an NHS scientist, has been made a Dame for services to the 100,000 Genomes Project and to NHS Genomic Medicine.