Medical staff who responded to Southport knife attacks honoured by King
Paul Smith, a senior paramedic team leader, treated victims at the scene where Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were murdered and 10 others injured at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July.
Mr Smith, who works for the North West Ambulance Service, was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to the community in Merseyside after 'he put the needs of the injured before his own safety', the NHS said.
Dr George Bramham, who was also a first responder, received the same honour.
Martin Johnson and Elizabeth Parsons, who were part of the surgical team in theatre who treated people sent to Southport Hospital after the stabbings, have been given the same medals.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS chief executive, praised the staff for their 'incredible dedication and commitment in an awful situation'.
Meanwhile, Reverend Martin Abrams, a spiritual care and chaplaincy manager, has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the community in Merseyside and west Lancashire.
He played a key role in the community after the horrors of the attacks, the health service said.
Other NHS staff receiving honours include Professor Bola Owolabi, a GP and director of inequalities at NHS England, who was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to reducing health inequalities.
Professor Owolabi said: 'This stands as a legacy of the work to address health inequalities by driving forward a powerful vision of exceptional quality healthcare for all, ensuring equitable access, excellent experience and optimal outcomes.'
Sir Jim added: 'I want to give my heartfelt congratulations to all the people working in the NHS that have received honours, who work tirelessly everyday to care for their patients.
'I'd also like to recognise those staff who were involved in the response to the knife attack in Southport last summer. These awards rightly honour their incredible dedication and commitment in an awful situation.
'The NHS is made up of highly committed and dedicated people that work hard to give the best possible care to patients, and these honours recognise their skill, compassion and bravery.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Ossett prostate cancer patient urges men to have checks
A man diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer said the news felt like falling into a "black hole", as he urged others to check for signs of the Burkey, from Ossett, was diagnosed in 2021, and was told his condition was incurable after a bone 59-year-old spoke as Prostate Cancer UK launched a campaign urging men to visit their GP with prostate concerns, in the hope of an early Burkey told BBC Radio Leeds: "You think it is always going to happen to somebody else; you just cannot believe it is you." Mr Burkey sought a diagnosis after experiencing symptoms related to prostate to the NHS, symptoms can include:Having a sudden urge to urinate Getting up often in the night to urinateBlood in your urineErectile dysfunction."I had a blood test, an MRI and a biopsy," Mr Burkey being told his illness was incurable, he said: "You are almost standing next to yourself thinking, I do not know what to do with this."You just cannot process it." According to Prostate Cancer UK, one in eight men will get prostate is now England's most common the prevalence, the charity's research suggests six in 10 men are concerned about having a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE).Of those, over a third would not speak to a GP about prostate worries because they feared the DRE Burkey urged men to seek a diagnosis despite barriers, saying: "You do not need to have a DRE now."You can ask your GP for a simple blood test and that gets the ball rolling, it is as simple as that." Earlier this week, the British Association of Urological Surgeons urged GPs to stop using the "outdated" and "inaccurate" DRE as a standard labelled it a "poor test" that deterred men from coming are encouraged to use Prostate Cancer UK's 30-second online risk checker and to talk to their GP about the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.A high level of PSA in the blood can indicate prostate led by Prostate Cancer UK shows that the way prostate cancer is diagnosed - with a PSA blood test followed by an MRI scan - reduces potential harms to men by 79%.Among those to catch the disease early was actor Colin who has appeared in The Dark Knight and Doctor Who, announced he had prostate cancer on the BBC Breakfast sofa in June said: "I'm really lucky I caught it early, so I thought if I'm lucky and I know so much about this, I need to try and share this knowledge." McFarlane's friend, theatre director Femi Elufowoju Jr said hearing his story encouraged him to get checked, which led him to also being thanked McFarlane for saving his treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Mr Burkey's body has stopped responding to advanced hormone said: "Inevitably your body becomes resistant, the cancer becomes resistant to them."You are constantly having your PSA levels monitored to see how treatments are working."You are constantly sort of on your toes thinking where am I up to now?"What have I still got left that can be used?"It is a very anxious time."I do not want another man to be in the position I am in." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Girl, 11, becoming youngest ever MBE ‘never thought this would happen'
Carmela Chillery-Watson, from Dorset, has LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy – a progressive muscle-wasting condition which affects her movement, heart and lungs – and is becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King's Birthday Honours for services to charitable fundraising. She was diagnosed with the condition in 2017, aged three, and in recent years has helped charity Muscular Dystrophy UK raise more than £400,000 by doing around 25 fundraising and awareness campaigns. 'I'm just really ecstatic and surprised that I'm receiving the honour,' Carmela told the PA news agency. 'It's incredible.' The 11-year-old campaigner has undertaken a variety of challenges, including her Wonder Woman Walk where she walked one kilometre a day and then went another nine kilometres a day in her wheelchair for a month in 2020. Dressed as her favourite superhero Wonder Woman, Carmela travelled across 30 different places in Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Surrey to complete the 300-kilometre trek. She has also carried out a 100-mile walking challenge across the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. 'I have to say, I love all of them,' Carmela said of her various fundraising campaigns. 'They are all so fun.' She also teaches exercises online for an optional small donation to help others with muscular dystrophy and similar physical disabilities who are unable to leave their homes or who don't have access to physiotherapy in their area. Carmela said people from as far away as Africa and the US have attended her virtual sessions. She is already an award winner, having been presented with a British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour in 2023 for making a positive impact on her community and society more widely. The Government believes Carmela is the youngest-ever MBE, although it does not hold all the historical data to be able to confirm it. Tony Hudgell became the youngest person on record to be honoured when he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) at the age of nine in the 2024 New Year Honours. Carmela will break paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds' record of being the youngest person to become an MBE from 2009 when she was 14 years old. The 11-year-old said she never looked for an award for her campaigning. 'I never thought anything like this would happen,' she said. 'I just want to make a difference to the disability community, to be able to show them: You're strong, you can do whatever you want.' Carmela's mother Lucy Chillery-Watson said she was 'bursting with pride' over her daughter becoming an MBE. 'Since the moment she was born she showed true resilience and determination – growing up with health conditions, one after the other,' Ms Chillery-Watson said. 'She's making a huge difference in the world.' She said her daughter does not let her physical disability stop her. 'She's already thought about her next challenge, she wants to go around UK primary schools to spread inclusivity in amongst the schools for physical disabilities, because Carmela has got her own experiences and in society there's still so much that needs to be done.' Carmela is very excited at the prospect of meeting a royal at an investiture ceremony. 'Potentially meeting King Charles or Queen Camilla – that is amazing,' she said. 'I mean, that is insane. 'Receiving an MBE is incredible but potentially meeting the King or Queen is even better.' Carmela's next challenge is her so-called 'Poo Plod' on June 23, when she will walk and wheel five miles dressed as a toilet, with her mum dressed as a poo, to raise money to buy specialist toilets for her school in Poole.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Girl, 11, becoming youngest ever MBE ‘never thought this would happen'
Carmela Chillery-Watson, from Dorset, has LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy – a progressive muscle-wasting condition which affects her movement, heart and lungs – and is becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King's Birthday Honours for services to charitable fundraising. She was diagnosed with the condition in 2017, aged three, and in recent years has helped charity Muscular Dystrophy UK raise more than £400,000 by doing around 25 fundraising and awareness campaigns. 'I'm just really ecstatic and surprised that I'm receiving the honour,' Carmela told the PA news agency. 'It's incredible.' The 11-year-old campaigner has undertaken a variety of challenges, including her Wonder Woman Walk where she walked one kilometre a day and then went another nine kilometres a day in her wheelchair for a month in 2020. Dressed as her favourite superhero Wonder Woman, Carmela travelled across 30 different places in Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Surrey to complete the 300-kilometre trek. She has also carried out a 100-mile walking challenge across the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. 'I have to say, I love all of them,' Carmela said of her various fundraising campaigns. 'They are all so fun.' She also teaches exercises online for an optional small donation to help others with muscular dystrophy and similar physical disabilities who are unable to leave their homes or who don't have access to physiotherapy in their area. Carmela said people from as far away as Africa and the US have attended her virtual sessions. She is already an award winner, having been presented with a British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour in 2023 for making a positive impact on her community and society more widely. The Government believes Carmela is the youngest-ever MBE, although it does not hold all the historical data to be able to confirm it. Tony Hudgell became the youngest person on record to be honoured when he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) at the age of nine in the 2024 New Year Honours. Carmela will break paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds' record of being the youngest person to become an MBE from 2009 when she was 14 years old. The 11-year-old said she never looked for an award for her campaigning. 'I never thought anything like this would happen,' she said. 'I just want to make a difference to the disability community, to be able to show them: You're strong, you can do whatever you want.' Carmela's mother Lucy Chillery-Watson said she was 'bursting with pride' over her daughter becoming an MBE. 'Since the moment she was born she showed true resilience and determination – growing up with health conditions, one after the other,' Ms Chillery-Watson said. 'She's making a huge difference in the world.' She said her daughter does not let her physical disability stop her. 'She's already thought about her next challenge, she wants to go around UK primary schools to spread inclusivity in amongst the schools for physical disabilities, because Carmela has got her own experiences and in society there's still so much that needs to be done.' Carmela is very excited at the prospect of meeting a royal at an investiture ceremony. 'Potentially meeting King Charles or Queen Camilla – that is amazing,' she said. 'I mean, that is insane. 'Receiving an MBE is incredible but potentially meeting the King or Queen is even better.' Carmela's next challenge is her so-called 'Poo Plod' on June 23, when she will walk and wheel five miles dressed as a toilet, with her mum dressed as a poo, to raise money to buy specialist toilets for her school in Poole.
