Three staff from The Royal London awarded an OBE in New Year's Honours
Three members of staff from The Royal London who cared for patients following last year's London Bridge attacks have been awarded an Office of the British Empire Awards in the 2019 New Year's Honours list.
Joy Ongcachuy, robotic lead nurse, Dr Malik Ramadhan, emergency consultant, and Emma Senyard, associate director of nursing, have collectively cared for patients in east London for 58 years and are familiar faces to many across the hospital.
The Royal London pulled together on the night of 3 June 2017 when there was a terrorist attack on London Bridge. “I was working the night shift that night and I heard the anaesthetist’s bleep go off. We already had a really sick patient in one of our theatres, so I had to get our other theatres ready and pull a team of nurses, allied health professionals and operating department practitioners together," Joy said.
“We opened an additional six theatres that night and everyone I called dropped everything they were doing to come to the aid of the patients. No one panicked; everyone was calm and so supportive.”
“Everyone rallies around in a crisis; it’s what we’re all built for," said Malik. "I was the resuscitation room commander. I ensured the injured patients had their scans and surgery at the right time and always had the right number of people looking after them.
“We performed emergency surgery on six patients lasting between an hour and three to four hours. Two people had been stabbed in the neck and another had been stabbed in the torso. The other three had blunt force injuries, including pelvic fractures, limb fractures and head injuries. We had one patient who had been shot.
“The sort of injuries that we saw are not uncommon at The Royal London, but we don’t normally have so many patients coming in at once."
“The London Bridge attack was a difficult time for my team," said Emma. "I arranged daily support from our psychologist and counsellor to help us move forward. In times like this, London really pulls together and although the circumstances weren’t ideal, the support we received from Londoners, gifts from the community, and a very special visit from HRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, was really appreciated."
"We couldn't be prouder that Joy, Malik and Emma were recognised in the 2019 New Year's Honours list," said Jackie Sullivan, managing director Royal London and Mile End hospitals. "Their leadership, compassion and integrity is inspiring every day, but was especially true at a time when Londoners relied on us to be there for them."
"It is incredibly humbling to have three of our staff recognised in this prestigious list," said Alwen Williams, chief executive. "I'm grateful for the way we pulled together as a team to respond to such a horrific event, and would like to specifically thank and congratulate Joy, Malik and Emma for being recognised for their courage, calmness and care they provide to our patients on a daily basis."