Volunteers working to have patients voices heard have received royal recognition.

The Patient Panel at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) have been bestowed the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The team, one of 230 charities and volunteers groups to receive the prestigious award this year, works to support patients, represent their voices and improve their hospital experiences.

The Queen’s Award is the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Representatives of The Patient Panel will receive the award from Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord Lieutenant of Essex later this summer while two volunteers from the team will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2021, along with other recipients of this year’s award.

Ann Nutt, chair of The Patient Panel at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We are honoured to have received this prestigious award, which means so much to our passionate and dedicated team of volunteers.

“Listening to patients and representing their voice is our vocation and we are proud to support our local hospital in this way. We engage in different ways with the public and staff and enjoy working with many statutory organisations to improve services for patients.

“Hearing that we had been successful in receiving this award was a fantastic moment for us, and great recognition for all of our volunteers.”

Lance McCarthy, chief executive of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to see the Patient Panel receive this wonderful and well-deserved award.

“Their enthusiasm and effort to support us in our work to continually improve our services in response to feedback from our patients is invaluable.

“Congratulations to the Patient Panel, and I look forward to building on this amazing foundation as we engage with our community about our plans for a new hospital for Harlow and the surrounding areas.”

Harlow MP Robert Halfon added: "Whether it be in my role as an MP, a visitor or as a patient, I've seen the incredible work that the Patient Panel does. They have made a huge difference to the patient experience and our appreciation will never be able to match the work they've done.

“The work undertaken by Ann Nutt, John Woods and the rest of the team is invaluable to the local community. No one chooses to go to hospital, and it is the work of this team that improves so many areas of healthcare.”

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