Nightingale hospital pharmacy lead among recipients of Queen’s birthday honours

Jatinder Harchowal, who was the director of pharmacy at the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London, has been honoured by the Queen for services during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with other pharmacists, frontline responders and community volunteers.

Jatinder Harchowal   Nightingale London

The lead pharmacist for the Nightingale Hospital in London was among recipients in the 2020 Queen’s birthday honours list, which focused on frontline responders and community volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jatinder Harchowal, chief pharmacist and head of quality improvement at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, received an MBE for services to the pharmaceutical profession, particularly during the pandemic.

Harchowal, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) Hospital Expert Advisory Group, was appointed director of pharmacy at the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London in March 2020.

While there, he led on the specification and set-up of the pharmacy service, which was completed in the space of nine days, including recruiting and inducting a new pharmacy team.

Harchowal spent eight weeks away from home ensuring that the hospital was ready to safely receive and care for patients. Upon his return to the Royal Marsden, he led the hospital’s Cancer Hub, ensuring patients received essential surgery during the pandemic.

“I am incredibly honoured, humbled and proud to be receiving this award,” Harchowal said, adding that he was proud of what the whole Nightingale team achieved.

“I’m hugely grateful for the support that Cally [Marsden, chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust] and The Royal Marsden team gave me during my secondment in the Nightingale and allowing me, on my return, to play a part in The Royal Marsden Cancer Hub to help as many patients as possible access the cancer surgery they needed.”

“I’m also particularly proud that this award recognises the important work of pharmacists and the pharmacy teams in the NHS. I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of my colleagues at the Nightingale, The Royal Marsden and my family.”

Asgher Mohammed, director of Abbey Chemist in Paisley, received an MBE for services to pharmacy and charity.

“Serving the community through my pharmacy and charity work has been both a privilege and my passion,” Mohammed said in a statement. “This has been driven by my Islamic faith. I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award and would sincerely like to thank everyone who made it possible.”

Faisal Tuddy, superintendent pharmacist at ASDA, with responsibility for the store’s 225 pharmacies, received the British Empire Medal for services to the pharmaceutical sector during COVID-19. Tuddy was recognised for his efforts to keep the store’s pharmacies up and running throughout the pandemic.

Tuddy said he was “honoured and humbled” to accept the medal, adding that it was “a testament to the incredible work of all our pharmacy teams in stores and the support of my head office colleagues”.

“They have all really pulled together to go above and beyond to look after our patients when they needed us the most. It’s an absolute pleasure to work with so many dedicated people,” he continued.

Jayne Lawrence, head of pharmacy and optometry at the University of Manchester, received an MBE for services to pharmaceutical research. Lawrence is a fellow of the RPS, and was the Society’s chief scientist from April 2007 until March 2017.

“I’m delighted to have received the award, and I feel truly honoured,” Lawrence said. 

“Throughout all my time as an academic, I’ve stayed true to my pharmacy background and have tried to serve the profession, but at the same [time] satisfying my passion for scientific research. I feel privileged to have been able to work and contribute to pharmacy and to pharmaceutical science, and the Queen’s award is very definitely the marzipan, the icing and the cherry on the cake!”

Among others recognised in the honours list were Mark Timoney, chief pharmaceutical officer for Northern Ireland from 2013 until 2019, who received an OBE for services to pharmacy; Emma Walmsley, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, awarded a DBE for services to the pharmaceutical industry and business; and David Webb, Christison chair of therapeutics and clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, who was given an OBE for services to clinical pharmacology research and education.

Last updated
Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ October 2020, Vol 305, No 7942;305(7942):DOI:10.1211/PJ.2020.20208436

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