An OH nurse who played a key role in supporting police officers who responded to the Paddington and Hatfield rail tragedies has been awarded an MBE in this year’s New Year’s Honours.
Jean Thomas, head of nursing for the Metropolitan Police Service, was made an MBE for her services to OH.
Thomas helped to arrange counselling for officers who dealt with and saw the horrific injuries from the two crashes, and has also been responsible for producing a national strategy for debriefing officers returning from the Asian tsunami disaster.
Thomas told Occupational Health the award was a recognition for the whole OH team, not just herself.
“It is a huge privilege working for the Metropolitan Police and I am absolutely delighted to be honoured. I would like all the current and past members of this large OH team to share this honour with me,” she said.
Carolyn Moss, OH adviser for the Ordnance Survey, and Barbara Green, safety, health and environmental manager at Highbury College in Portsmouth, also become MBEs.
