At ENT & Audiology News we were delighted to hear that ENT UK have won an award for Best Membership Support during COVID-19. We sent Emma Stapleton to chat with Professor Nirmal Kumar, ENT UK President.
Congratulations to ENT UK on this spectacular achievement! Can you tell us a little about what this award ceremony represents?
Thanks for the kind words. The award represents recognition for the work we did collectively right from the start of the pandemic in understanding the risks faced by clinicians working in close proximity to the airway. We formed a registry, engaged with Public Health England in emphasising the upgraded protection needed, and produced guidelines for safe management of patients during the pandemic. These guidelines were adopted not only in the UK but also in many parts of the world.
So, it's a big thing for ENT UK to have been nominated, and to have won!
It is a real pleasure indeed for ENT UK to be short-listed finalists, which was an achievement in itself, but to be the Gold winner was ‘icing on the cake’. We hope to show in this way that we really stand for our members, supporting them in every aspect of their working lives, and as a specialty we can be proud!
How can we learn more about the work ENT UK has done?
We have always placed communication at the heart of what we do, thanks to an excellent team of ENT UK staff, clinical colleagues, executives and trustees. We have provided regular roundups and posted all the relevant information on our website (www.entuk.org). The guidelines and patient information were made available to all freely without being restricted to the members-only section of the website. The success of this strategy was evidenced by the huge increase in traffic to our website, which continues to this day. I am delighted to say that trustees have also approved funding to revamp and improve the website. The work on this is continuing at pace and we hope to have our new website functioning in the next few months.
What part of this process are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the team effort and so many ‘volunteers’ who went above and beyond to provide their collective wisdom and expertise for the common good. I cannot but thank each and every one who contributed to this.
Finally, what does this award mean to you personally, and to the wider team at ENT UK?
It means a great deal personally, as it shows that working together has great rewards which go beyond the ‘currency’ of immediate success! I am particularly happy that on the back of this work we have been able to launch the ENT UK Foundation which, as the philanthropic arm of ENT UK, will provide more benefits for the specialty, expanding our horizons to support clinicians in the UK and abroad to deliver best possible healthcare when resources can be limited. I am pleased again to see that this endeavour is getting wholesome support from many in the medical fraternity but also in the wider society.
