A New Year Honour

An Edge Hill student has received an MBE in the New Year Honours list.

Donna Clark, aged 41, received the award for services to healthcare. She is studying for a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care for assistant practitioners at the Ormskirk campus and works as a footcare assistant, specialising in podiatry, with South Sefton Primary Care Trust, based in Bootle.

Donna, a mother-of-two, joined the NHS six years ago, initially working in administrative roles but was inspired to take a more clinical path.

"I loved my job," said Donna, "but I wanted to have more direct contact with the patients. They come to us in pain so it is fantastic to see them go away happy."

When Donna first received the letter to say she had been nominated for the MBE, she didn't believe it was real.

She added: "The envelope was marked ‘Cabinet Office' and ‘Confidential' and I thought I'd done something wrong and was about to get sued or something! When I did open it, I was convinced it was a joke. I rang the number on the letter and when the person that answered said ‘Buckingham Palace'I just put the phone down! It was only when my aunt called on New Year's Day to say my name was in the London Gazette, that I realised it was true."

But Donna is very modest about her achievement.

"There are more people than me who deserve this," she said. "I work with colleagues who have give 40 or 50 years to caring for patients. I am cringing telling them that I am going to the Palace. The community team as a whole deserves this award - I can't do my job without the rest of the team.

"I am terrified of meeting the Queen - I don't even own a hat. And what am I going to talk to her about? I suppose I could always offer to do her feet before I leave!"

The Foundation Degree for assistant practitioners is an innovative programme which broadens the skill base of health care workers and prepares them for additional responsibilities. The assistant practitioner role is seen as a key position within future workforce developments in health and social care.

FdSc Health and Social Care (Assistant Practitioner)