HARLOW MP Robert Halfon has expressed his delight that his nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award in the NHS Parliamentary Awards has been shortlisted.

Kathy Gibbs, the former Deputy Education and CPD Liaison Manager at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, has been named regional champion in a prestigious competition to celebrate excellence in health and care in England.

The NHS Parliamentary Awards, supported by Fuji Film, recognise the massive contribution made by the individuals who work in and alongside the NHS.

Launched in March, it asked MPs to find and nominate those individuals or teams they thought have made the biggest improvements to health services in their constituencies across ten categories.

Kathy Gibbs was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award by Robert, after he learned that she had recently retired from 53 years at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Kathy started work in the NHS at PAH as a cadet nurse in 1965 aged 17. She worked in outpatients, radiology, pharmacy and several of the inpatient wards whilst attending teaching sessions at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping, before undergoing further training in 1966 to qualify as a registered nurse working at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Having been named champions by senior regional NHS experts, Kathy will now vie with other regional winners from across England for the national award, to be presented at a special ceremony in the Palace of Westminster in July.

Robert Halfon said: “I am absolutely thrilled for Kathy. She has dedicated her life to helping others, working at our brilliant Harlow hospital for 53 years!

“Her family were the first residents to live in Harlow new town and she trained in Epping as a cadet nurse from the age of 17.

“Since then, Kathy has served our community working in A&E for over 32 years. I am delighted that her hard work will be recognised and look forward to welcoming her into Parliament in July.”

From more than 500 entries, senior experts in each region have chosen ten outstanding nominations, which exemplify the best of what the NHS and its partners do day in, day out.

All the champions will be invited to the national awards ceremony, which will be held on July 10th.
The ceremony will be hosted by Dr Sara Kayat, NHS GP & TV Doctor best known for This Morning, Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls and GPs: Behind Closed Doors. A special performance from the NHS Choir

The regional champions will now go forward to a final round of judging by a panel including the leaders of Royal Colleges, Carers UK, AGE UK, a member of the NHS Youth Forum and the Patients Association – collectively representing millions of health and care workers and patients.