Covid: NHS heroes quite rightly top end-of-year awards – Angus Robertson MSP

New Year is a traditional time for honours and awards and 2022 is no different with the Queen’s New Years Honours list, the Edinburgh Evening News Hot 30 and many others.

What they all had in common was the top spot reserved for the NHS.

In Scotland, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith was knighted for his sterling service throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Every week he has been at hand to advise the Scottish government on public health information and the public directly on the challenge from the virus.

There has also been individual recognition for Paul Fairie who heads the Glasgow’s Lighthouse Laboratory which has processed more than 20 million Covid tests.

Awards were also given to other volunteers and healthcare workers including Joseph Freedman for services to the Jewish community during the pandemic and Dr Adaeze Ifezulike for service to health inequality in Scotland’s minority communities.

In Lothian, the number one spot was reserved for the entire staff of NHS Lothian in the 30 Hot List of the Edinburgh Evening News.

The commendation read: “Over the last two years, no one has been able to escape the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulties that came along with it. While most of us were able to keep safe in our homes during the lockdowns, NHS heroes were risking their lives everyday to care for us."

NHS staff deserve our abiding gratitude for their work during the Covid pandemic (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

With the impact of the Omicron variant still unfolding, not only are we grateful for everything NHS workers did for us in 2021 but what they will do in 2022.

Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary

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