3 minute read
Director of infection prevention and control awarded MBE
Congratulations to Dr Shico Visuvanathan
We are delighted to announce that Dr Shico Visuvanathan, consultant microbiologist and director of infection prevention and control, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list.
recognised for services to during the COVID-19 response.
The New Year Honours list recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the United Kingdom. This demonstrates the incredible efforts of hundreds of public sector and community workers throughout 2020 and
Dr Visuvanathan has been Dr Visuvanathan said: beyond. microbiology, and infection I am humbled and very proud prevention and control, particularly to be awarded an MBE. It was such a surprise, at the end of a difficult year. It is a reflection of the wonderful infection prevention and control team (IPC team) and microbiology team I work with, and the hard work put in by clinical colleagues and Trust senior management alike during this pandemic.
I would like to thank my colleagues who have helped develop and accomplish difficult and complex infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies in our hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the IPC team led by Jenny Kirsh, our dedicated and excellent head of IPC, who spent many long evenings and weekends working on IPC plans with me. Also, all of my amazing colleagues on the PAHT IPC Cell, supported by a team of highly skilled microbiology laboratory biomedical scientists.
I have been consultant microbiologist at the Trust since 1994 and laboratory manager Deborah Orriss has led an excellent microbiology laboratory service throughout this time. Our laboratory team, especially Nick Levene, Cherie Beckett, Louise Lopez, and Sabiha Alom, have supported a seven day COVID-19 testing service.
The Trust executive team including our director of nursing Sharon McNally, deputy director of nursing Sarah Webb and chief executive Lance McCarthy, have helped me from the start of the pandemic, through the IPC Cell, to implement best practice IPC guidance to help our patients
and staff. All clinical colleagues pathologist Dr Shanthi Thomas throughout the hospital have (now retired), previous CEO at helped our patients and done their the Trust Mr John Gilham, and best for each other. They have consultant orthopaedic surgeon done outstanding work despite Mr Charles Aldam. Numerous such difficult circumstances with Trust clinicians and managers a pandemic virus in our midst. have helped in different ways to Colleagues on the IPC Cell, build a successful department in especially consultant respiratory microbiology and IPC at our Trust. physician Dr Ugo Ekeowa, and Together we have overcome associate director of nursing difficult challenges over the years (ADON) Joanne Ward provided including MRSA, Clostridium invaluable advice to me to help difficile, and E.coli bacteraemia. embed IPC guidance in day to day As a passionate advocate of clinical work. Associate medical patient and staff safety, I was director Dr Bob Ghosh, ADONs committed to reducing COVID June Barnard (recently moved to infection rates to the minimum Scotland) and Pam Humphrey, possible and supporting staff and chief operating officer Steph in any way I could to get Lawton provided clinical and through these difficult times. I operational support throughout. feel honoured to have had so
I have been privileged in my colleagues working with me to do role as the director of infection just that. prevention and control for the last 17 years to have worked with a I would also like to thank my wide range of multi-disciplinary family, who I hardly saw last year, staff of all grades and specialities, for their continued support. Finally, and each of them holds a special I wish to thank all those who I place in my heart. Looking after have not been able to mention and protecting our Trust staff to individually who have helped us the best of my ability has been get through 2020, and we all hope something very important to me for a better year in 2021. during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had unfailing support from *Please note that Dr Shico director of quality improvement Visuvanathan's married name is Jim McLeish to do this throughout Dr Shikandhini Kanagasundrem, these pandemic months and as shown on the New Year's still ongoing with the vaccine Honours list. programme unfolding this week, supported by staff health and wellbeing manager Kathryn Court, and human resources colleagues, especially Ellie Manlove.
Many colleagues have championed my career at PAHT and I would particularly like to mention consultant chemical many clinical and management
