Specialists honoured by Queen

Sophie Wessex was in hospital for around 10 days

Doctors at the forefront of child healthcare are among the dozens of health workers recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Two of the specialists who cared for the Countess of Wessex when her daughter was born prematurely have been honoured.

And Professor Alan Craft, chair of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has been knighted.

Frontline NHS staff and leading health experts have also been honoured.

A lot of people were involved who won't be getting an award David Beynon, Obstetrician

The Countess of Wessex was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey last November after falling ill.

She underwent an emergency Caesarean and Lady Louise Windsor was born several weeks early, weighing under 5lb.

Two of the doctors at Frimley Park who cared for Sophie and her daughter, obstetrician David Beynon and paediatrician Karyn Maltby, have been made Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).

Mr Beynon told BBC News Online: "It's a recognition, not for me personally, but that the NHS can do something positive.

"The care the Countess had reflects how good the care is in that situation for any mum and baby."

But he added: "A lot of people were involved who won't be getting an award."

Royal gynaecologist Marcus Setchell and Sophie's GP Dr Jonathan Holliday were also honoured.

'Hugely satisfying'

Professor Craft, who has led research treatments in children's cancer over the last 28 years, said he was "somewhat surprised, but delighted" to be knighted.

Professor Alan Craft has led research into children's cancers

He was one of the founders of the UK Children's Cancer Study Group in 1976.

Then, around 35% of children with cancer could be cured. Now the figure is around 75%.

Professor Craft has also led research into treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma, a cancer of the bones which tends to affect children aged 10 to 20.

He told BBC News Online: "It's been hugely satisfying work; a very satisfying and exciting life."

Professor Craft has also been prominent in his defence of the work of paediatricians as head of their medical college.

It hit the headlines earlier this year when it revealed doctors involved in child protection work were receiving death threats and hate mail, leading many to hesitate over whether to continue with the work.

Professor Craft said: "Paediatricians have been under huge pressure."

---

Here are the rest of the health honours:

Knighthood

• Professor Peter Harper, former Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
• Dr Gregory Winter, Joint Head, Division of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge

Dames

• Ms Jacqueline Docherty. Director of Nursing and Operations, King's College Hospital, London
• Ms Deirdre Mary Hutton, Executive Chair, National Consumer Council.
• Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation

CBE

• John Anderson. Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Middlesbrough
• Dr Roger Boyle. National director for Heart Disease, Department of Health
• Professor Ian Waugh Bruce. former Director-General, Royal National Institute of the Blind
• Professor Farieda Fortune, Professor of Medicine in relation to Oral Health, Queen Mary University of London
• Professor David Haslam. Chairman of the Royal College of GPs
• David Jackson, Chief executive, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Professor Jean Orr. Head, School of Nursing, Queens University, Belfast
• Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith. Head, Neurocognitive Development Unit, Institute of Child Health
• Mrs Barbara Stuttle. Chair, Association for Nurse Prescribing
• Dr Susan Whyte. Consultant Psychiatrist, Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust
• Professor Nairn Wilson. Dean and head, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' Dental Institute, King's College London

OBE

• Roger Allsopp. Founding chairman, Medical Specialists Group, Guernsey
• Helen Boon. Practice Development Nurse, North Tyneside Primary Care Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust
• Margaret Brown. Chief executive, Doncaster East Primary Care Trust
• Anne Darby. Substance Misuse Specialist Health Visitor, North East Lincolnshire
• Dr Sunjai Gupta. Senior Medical Officer, Public Health Development and Health Inequalities Unit, Department of Health
• Sir Stephen Hammick, for services to Health and to the community in Dorset
• Professor Christopher Haslett. Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Jean McIntosh. Director, Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, Glasgow Caledonian University
• Dr Sandra Mooney. Director, Health Services, British Airways, for services to Occupational Medicine
• Dr Nayyar Naqvi. Consultant Cardiologist, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust
• Iyabode Oni, Director, Brent Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre, Central Middlesex Hospital
• Kanwar Jit Singh Panesar, Consultant Surgeon, Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry
• Professor Elizabeth Simpson, Professor and Deputy director, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre
• Linda Stone, Pharmacist, Solihull
• Linda Thomas. Editor-in-chief, Royal College of Nursing Publishing Company. for services to nursing
• Dr Peter Denton White, Consultant Psychiatrist and head of Liaison Services, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London
• Paul Wilson. Director of Nursing, Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust