Hampshire Hospitals staff member awarded MBE in Queen’s Jubilee Honours

Emily Arbuthnot, Head of Cancer Services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), has been awarded an MBE for services to the NHS in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours List.

The honour recognises Emily’s work with the Peritoneal Malignancy Institute, a centre based at the trust’s Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital which specialises in the surgical treatment of patients with tumours and cancer that has spread to the peritoneum.

The Institute, which was created in 1994, is the largest and busiest cancer unit of its kind in the world and has secured an international reputation as a global leader in the field.

Under Emily’s leadership, and through the team’s hard work, the centre has expanded significantly in the last decade, with more surgeries to treat peritoneum cancers carried out than at any other facility globally.

Emily said: “This honour recognises the dedication and care of the whole peritoneal malignancy team since it started in the mid 1990’s and particularly over the last few years. We have dealt with increasing numbers of referrals, becoming the highest volume centre in the world for this type of surgery. Through a shared vision and teamwork, we have delivered high standards of care with improved outcomes.

“We have an exciting research and development programme, with a range of clinical trials from sequencing genomes to understand more about this rare disease to trialling cutting edge treatments and techniques to further improve patient care and outcomes. I am utterly privileged to be part of such an innovative and committed team, who are a joy to work with every day.”

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted that Emily’s contribution to the Peritoneal Malignancy Institute has been recognised. This is a credit to her commitment to providing the best possible care to patients with a rare form of cancer.

“We are incredibly proud of Emily and the entire team who deliver this specialist service at Hampshire Hospitals, one of only two centres in the United Kingdom. They have saved many lives and provide treatment and hope to patients from across the UK and around the globe.”