Leicester East MP Keith Vaz has announced the local health and care workers who he has nominated for national awards to mark the 70th birthday of the NHS. The NHS70 Parliamentary Awards, sponsored by IBM, was set up to recognise the massive contribution made by the individuals who work in and alongside the NHS. MPs in England were called on to put forward outstanding nominees who have innovated, impressed and made a real difference to how local health and care services provide care for patients.
As chosen by the MP, Professor Kamlesh Khunti is now the official nominee representing the Leicester East constituency in the national competition for The Healthier Communities Award. Prof Khunti has dedicated his life to medicine and research, publishing nearly 500 research papers. He is now Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester and Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), a national and international centre of excellence in type 2 diabetes. His work has influenced national and international guidelines on the screening and management of people with diabetes and for healthcare professionals, meaning he has potentially helped guide clinicians treat anyone who has the condition.
Keith Vaz MP said, "Everyone in Leicester is rightly proud of our local NHS and care services, and I'm delighted to be taking part in the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards as a way of thanking and recognising the people who work in or support those services”. He added, “I hope local people will take the opportunity to mark the NHS's 70th birthday in other ways, whether it's by finding out more about its history, sharing their NHS memories and stories, getting involved in local events and tea parties, or being inspired to keep themselves well and use health services wisely”.
Nominees put forward by MPs across England will initially be judged by senior local and regional NHS experts to find regional champions in each category. These regional champions will then be judged by a high-level panel, with the overall winners announced at a special awards ceremony in Parliament on Wednesday 4 July — the day before the NHS's 70th birthday.
