Any member or fellow can make a nomination. The RCPCH Nominations Committee assesses each individual’s contribution and makes a recommendation to Council as to who should receive the award. Awards are made for outstanding contribution to UK or overseas paediatrics and child health, or for service to the College. Nominees do not have to be paediatricians or College members.
Each year the awards are presented at RCPCH Conference. Current circumstances have prevented this so we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our eight very deserving 2020 Honorary Fellows and hear about what the award means to them.
Professor Paul Colditz
Director of the Perinatal Research Centre and Deputy Director at University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research
Being awarded Honorary Fellowship means so much to me, here in a far-flung corner of the world. As a paediatrician, I am privileged to be part of an international community focussed on improving the health of all children. The RCPCH has been very effective in using its incredible membership and skill base to be at the international forefront of improving child health. The Honorary Fellowship provides me the opportunity and privilege of joining the team at RCPCH, where you have already achieved so much, and continue to strive to lead and support international efforts to improve child health throughout the world. I look forward from Australia to the opportunity to further engage and support your endeavours.
Professor Sarah Creighton
Consultant Gynaecologist, Department of Women’s Health, UCLH
I am delighted to have been awarded an Honorary Fellowship. I have worked for many years to highlight the need for good gynaecological care for children and young people. The Honorary Fellowship is important to me as a personal achievement. However, it is also significant as further recognition for the subspecialty of Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology and the value of close working relationships between paediatricians and gynaecologists.
Dr Carol Ewing
Clinical Adviser to the Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire Strategic Clinical Network
I am delighted to receive an RCPCH Honorary Fellowship. However, I must emphasise that my RCPCH contributions (2007-19) as Paediatricians in Medical Management Committee member, Workforce Officer and Vice President Health Policy were only possible through the support and guidance from RCPCH staff, clinical colleagues and RCPCH&Us. Thank you everyone.
My award makes me even more determined to continue advocating for children, young people, families and child health staff to improve health outcomes as Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire Network’s clinical adviser and as RCPCH’s Greater Manchester Ambassador, particularly through COVID-19 challenges. I am not retiring yet!
Professor Anne Greenough
Professor of Neonatology and Clinical Respiratory Physiology, Director of Education and Training at King’s Heath Partners Academic Health Science Centre
I am very honoured to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the RCPCH. I very much enjoyed my five years as Vice President Science and Research as I was working with a highly motivated team with immense expertise and committed to improve the health and wellbeing of infants, children and young people, as well as supporting the training and career development of paediatricians.
Professor Alastair Hay
Professor of Primary Care at the University of Bristol
I am delighted to be awarded RCPCH Honorary Fellowship in recognition of the primary care paediatric research that I, along with many collaborators, have conducted over 25 years. I think our research has already contributed to some improvements in the care of children delivered by GPs and nurses (eg more appropriate use of antibiotics and antipyretics) and that this will continue (eg anaesthetic ear drops to reduce the pain of middle ear infections; antibiotic ear drops for discharge following middle ear infection). And thank you to all those who have, and continue, to support paediatric research!
Dr Lisa Kauffmann
Consultant Paediatrician, Associate Medical Director, Community Children's Services
It is a huge honour to receive the award of Honorary Fellow of the RCPCH. As an organisation that is still only in young adulthood, it has done, and continues to do, so much work to improve the health and lives of children both in the UK and abroad. Activities in training, educating and developing the careers of paediatricians, in supporting research, and in developing the quality of the services in which paediatrics is practised are all supported by an exceptional young people’s involvement programme. I am immensely proud to have been able to contribute to some of the work of the College.
Dr Alison Tedstone
Chief Nutritionist and Deputy Director (Diet, Obesity and Physical Activity) at Public Health England
I am delighted to be awarded an honorary fellowship as it is a mark of the importance put on the efforts of those of us supporting policy making across government and of prevention. Without the support of medical professionals, it would be much harder to argue for and deliver policy instruments such as the soft drinks industry levy. It is, however, clear that much more needs to be done to tackle obesity and improve the life chances of children. I look forward to working with members on approaches to improving diets.
Professor Catherine Law
Deputy Director (Strategy and Partnerships) at UCL Institute of Child Health and Vice Dean for Research in the Faculty of Population Health Sciences.
As well as Honorary Fellowship, Professor Law has been awarded the James Spence Medal for her scientific approach to inequalities in health and tireless work in promoting children’s health through a life course approach.