Sex diseases expert is honoured

Olwen Williams says her OBE is recognition for her whole team

A consultant who has worked to raise the profile of sexually-transmitted diseases in Wales has been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Dr Olwen Williams is made an OBE for her services to medicine in Wales.

Dr Williams has been a specialist in genito-urinary medicine at Wrexham Maelor and Glan Clwyd Hospital in north Wales for the last 13 years.

She said the honour was a recognition for the whole team of people working in the area of sexual diseases and HIV.

"I was just taken aback to learn of this," said Dr Williams. "And I'm absolutely delighted".

"It is really about the team that I work with as much as me."

"We've been able to give a voice to how the services should develop across Wales."

Way forward

She believed the OBE had been awarded in recognition of their work in placing sexual health on both the political and social agenda in Wales.

Dr Williams has sat on a number of committees on the issue of sexual health and is currently working with the Welsh Assembly Government official looking at integrating services across Wales.

"We have got a problem about teenage pregnancies and STIs (sexually-transmitted infections) in Wales," said Dr Williams, from St Asaph, Denbighshire.

"We have got to find a way forward so that we can improve access to services so that we can get to people early and also to employ services in a better way."

Among other people from north-east Wales honoured is Margaret Horobin, assistant head teacher at Prestatyn High School in Denbighshire.

She received the MBE for services to education and to the community.