Community
Six Alder Hey clinicians honoured for the Southport response
Six surgeons, anaesthetists and critical-care staff at Alder Hey Children's Hospital received the British Empire Medal in the 2026 Birthday Honours for their care of children injured in the 2024 Southport attack.
· Honoria
When the 2026 Birthday Honours were published, six clinicians from Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool were each awarded the British Empire Medal for services to children and young people. They were recognised for the care they gave after the Southport attack in July 2024, when injured children were brought to Alder Hey.
The team behind the medals
The awards went to a group whose work spans surgery, anaesthesia and critical care:
- Vittoria Bucknall, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Roger Walton, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon
- David Wright, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Pundrique Sharma, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
- Katie Misselbrook, Consultant Anaesthetist
- Josef Taylor, Consultant Surgeon
Recognition for a hospital
Each citation reads simply "for services to children and young people" - a quiet line for an extraordinary day. The medals sit among the 2026 Birthday Honours List, which recognised NHS and emergency-service staff alongside community volunteers across the country.