17 February 2022

Two senior colleagues at Frimley Health received royal recognition as they were invested as MBEs at Windsor Castle.

Medical Director Dr Tim Ho and Head of Nursing for Critical Care Di Dodsworth attended separate ceremonies to receive their insignias from the Princess Royal.

The awards were announced among the New Year Honours for 2021 and recognised their roles in shaping the Trust's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Ho was recognised for his clear and compassionate leadership during the most challenging period the NHS has faced. He mobilised and supported senior colleagues who stepped into emergency response command positions, oversaw the retraining of staff into frontline COVID-19 roles and had overall responsibility for significant changes to some of the Trust's care pathways.

Dr Ho said: “My wife and I spent a fantastic day at Windsor Castle where we were made to feel extremely welcome. It was recognition of the hard work of everyone at Frimley Health during the pandemic as we cared for patients and their families affected by COVID.”

Di, who manages the critical care teams across Frimley Health, helped the trust to double its critical care capacity during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. She also assisted with the redeployment and training of more than 200 nurses to ensure they had the additional skills required to work in critical care units.

Di, who was accompanied to her investiture by her husband, said: “I am immensely proud of the whole critical care team and their relentless work throughout the pandemic. This honour is recognition of their efforts.”