Medal from King recognises work in Gaza is ‘valuable', says NHS medic
An NHS medic who provided care in Gaza has said being given a Humanitarian Medal by the King was recognition that the work was 'valuable'.
The recipients of the new honour received their medals at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Among those to receive the honour was Dr Matthew Newport, 37, an NHS anaesthetist from Ramsbottom, Lancashire, who was deployed to Gaza five times over the last year.
I think the medal and the presentation of the medal by the King is really just recognition that the work is valuable
Dr Matthew Newport
Dr Newport, who also volunteers with the North West Air Ambulance, said the medal was a 'huge honour and privilege'.
He told the PA news agency: 'I think the medal and the presentation of the medal by the King is really just recognition that the work is valuable.
'And the reason the work is valuable is because of the phenomenal hundreds of local Palestinian staff that we've been supporting and really just acting as stewards for in Gaza – just building a safe space where they can do the heavy lifting and the day-to-day work.'
Dr Newport said conditions in Gaza were 'apocalyptic', adding he had 'never witnessed anything like it'.
He added: 'People think about the bombs and the blast injuries and air strikes.
'But aside from all that, there's the normal stuff that just isn't getting the attention that it needs – the diabetes, the blood pressure, the cancer, the heart failure.
'And there's all the bits that are not trauma related, but have been caused by the conflict – so malnutrition, diarrhoea, infectious diseases.
'It really is a full smorgasbord of medical traumas and presentations.'
Dr Newport said he thought there was a 'correctly placed cautious optimism about the ceasefire'.
He added: 'I think it's really important that the international community rallies round and continues the response now.
'Perhaps you could say transitioning from the emergency phase into the recovery and rehabilitation phase.'
Dr Newport was among 14 frontline medical responders associated with British emergency medical charity UK-Med to receive the medal at Buckingham Palace.
UK-Med said the ceremony highlighted 'the UK's longstanding commitment to medical humanitarianism' while also 'bringing attention to the ongoing medical crisis in Gaza, where thousands remain in urgent need of medical assistance'.
The charity, whose teams have treated more than 300,000 people in Gaza, added that 'hospitals remain overwhelmed and medical supplies are critically low'.
Former British Army nursing officer Paula Tobin, 57, was also awarded the medal after being deployed to Gaza three times to work in UK-Med's field hospital in Al Mawasi.
UK-Med said Ms Tobin, an NHS emergency nurse from Tavistock, Devon, had 'provided urgent care to patients in some of the most challenging medical conditions imaginable'.
Another recipient, Nick Cairns, 60, a former British Army officer, played a 'key logistical role in constructing UK-Med's field hospitals in Gaza'.
Having also worked with the World Health Organisation, UK-Med said he had been 'instrumental in ensuring medical operations continue despite extreme logistical challenges'.
Other recipients of the medal were honoured for their services to the humanitarian response to the earthquake in Morocco in September 2023 and flooding in Libya, also in September 2023.
David Wightwick, chief executive of UK-Med, said the medics had 'put their expertise to work in the most extreme conditions imaginable'.
Mr Wightwick said: 'Their commitment to saving lives, often at great personal risk, is a testament to the values of humanitarianism and medical excellence.
'The recognition from His Majesty is a moment of pride for all of us at UK-Med and a reminder of the critical role our medics play in global emergency response.'
UK-Med employs around 500 Palestinian staff in Gaza, supported by a small international team comprising mostly of medics.
The charity has been working in the Gaza Strip since January 2024, running two field hospitals in Al Mawasi and Zuwaida, both funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
It also supports the emergency department at Nasser Hospital in Gaza with funding from the World Health Organisation.
The Humanitarian Medal is awarded to those in public service and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of the Government, such as charities, which respond in support of human welfare during or in the aftermath of a crisis.
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