Doctor and former midwife at King’s College Hospital, Camberwell, named in New Year Honours

A King’s College Hospital doctor and a former King’s midwife are two of the NHS workers recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for 2021.

Dr Tom Best, clinical director for critical care, has been made an MBE for services to critical care, particularly for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Best was instrumental in ensuring the trust was able to safely manage the high volume of patients requiring intensive care during the first wave in April 2020.

King’s had among the highest number of acutely unwell patients in the country. The intensive care consultant recently featured in the Channel 4 documentary, Surviving Covid, which charted the lives of six patients who had spent many months in critical care following a Covid diagnosis.

Jill Demilew, former consultant midwife at King’s, has been recognised for services to midwifery.

During her career, Jill had helped to address health inequalities and improve access to healthcare for the most vulnerable women in South London.

Through her work, Jill has applied different models of care within the community to get the very best outcomes for the most disadvantaged.

During her time at King’s, Jill was fundamental in implementing continuity of carer models so that women have the same group of midwives supporting them throughout their pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care.

The model established at King’s has been used as an exemplar across the South West Local Maternity System.

Professor Clive Kay, King’s Chief Executive, was among the first to congratulate the recipients.

He said: “All of us at King’s are very proud of Tom and Jill for the hard work and dedication that has led to them being recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours.

“They have made significant contributions in their fields and I’m delighted it has been recognised at a national level. Many congratulations to them both.”