Alder Hey doctor receives award from Prince Harry

A children's doctor nominated by the mother of a seriously ill baby he helped care for has won a WellChild Award presented by Prince Harry.

Ian Sinha, a consultant respiratory paediatrician at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, cared for the premature child who survived "against all odds".

He received the Outstanding Professional Award at the WellChild Awards in London.

A charity spokesperson said Sinha's "care, compassion and advocacy" had a "profound impact on children with complex medical needs and their families".

Sinha was nominated by Gill Golden, a Merseyside doctor whose child was under his care during a prolonged hospital stay.

Golden said he was not only an exceptional clinician, but an extraordinary individual whose kindness, belief and determination gave her family strength when they needed it most.

The WellChild charity said: "Despite his senior role and national profile, Ian remains approachable, humble and deeply trusted by the families he supports, many of whom turn to him during periods of uncertainty and crisis."

Sinha said the award was not really about him but "about the team that have worked to get that recognition," adding that it was "nice to collect this award on behalf of all of them."

He said: "When I think back to how sick he was, you sometimes take for granted how special Alder Hey is as a hospital, but actually there would have been close to 100 people that were directly involved in saving that little boy's life."

"It's always lovely seeing people know Alder Hey and our team and what we do," he added.

Sinha said Prince Harry was "a really lovely guy" and "very down-to-earth" and said the Prince had given a "very emotional" speech at the awards event.

Prince Harry said the awards "give us the opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary group of children and young people living with complex medical needs, as well as the families who support them every single day".

Sinha, who specialises in asthma and lung diseases in newborn babies, is also an honorary professor of child health at the University of Liverpool and an honorary professor of global child health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

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