Special NHS honour for former Chad man Peter

Peter, now aged 90, received a framed special certificate of recognition 'in appreciation of his outstanding dedication and commitment to improving the patient experience in healthy and social care for more than 65 years'.

The award was presented by Dr Amanda Sullivan, accountable officer of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) at a recent board meeting.

In 1954, Peter was invited to join the local hospital's League of Friends as its press officer.

A year later, he became a committee member and trustee and went on to serve the group for more than 50 years.

He was involved in many of the local league and hospital developments including the formation of the ‘Daffodil Voluntary Service Group' in 1963.

At one time the group served nine local hospitals and health care centres and had more than 1,000 volunteers.

Within the League of Friends he became county, regional and national deputy chairman and he also chaired, and helped form, many NHS local and county working groups and committees with patient involvement.

As primary care trust and CCG lay patient adviser he served on the local board.

His other voluntary work included being a regional champion with Diabetes UK and he remains a member of the local group committee as well a being a senior trustee of the Order of the League of Mercy, a royal Order formed by Queen Victoria.

He entered local journalism with the former Mansfield Advertiser in 1943 , moving on to the Chad when it was amalgamated with the former Mansfield Chronicle in April 1952.

He is believed to be the last of the original journalistic team.