Queen celebrates Jersey pandemic trio and autism champ

Friday 09 October 2020

The trio behind Jersey's response to the pandemic and a local autism champion have been celebrated in the Queen's delayed birthday honours list.

The release of the Queen's Honours List was moved from its usual June date to October to ensure that covid responders could be properly recognised for their services.

For their local efforts in dealing with the virus crisis Deputy Medical Officer for Health Dr Ivan Muscat, Medical Director Patrick Armstrong and the Government's former policy boss Dr Megan Mathias were all awarded an MBE. Chair of Autism Jersey Nick Winsor was also recognised.

They join a list of national heroes recognised with MBEs evening, including England footballer Marcus Rashford and 'lockdown PE teacher' Joe Wicks.

Pictured: Chief Medical Officer, Ivan Muscat, has been giving the island expert advice throughout the pandemic.

Speaking to Express about his honour, Dr Muscat said he felt he was in a “different world” and that it was “so unexpected that you don’t really know what to feel.” 

While he explained that it was “a great honour to receive such an award", he felt it was "important to say that everyone in Health, Government and each and every islander has responded to covid”. He went on to urge islanders to keep up their efforts in sticking to public health guidelines, warning that the virus is still a threat in both Europe and the UK.

When Dr Muscat was a student, he chained himself to the Prime Minister of Malta’s offices in protest at the country closing down his medical school - a dispute that set the wheels in motion on a journey that eventually led to him coming to Jersey. When asked if that 20-year-old could ever imagine being honoured by Buckingham Palace, Dr Muscat exclaimed: “Absolutely not!”

Speaking of how his younger rebellious self would react, he continued: “In those days what you wanted was for the medical school to reopen and to get our education, so this sort of thing would have never crossed our minds!”

Pictured: Dr Muscat chained himself to the Maltese Prime Minister's offices in protest of his medical school closing. (Times of Malta)

For Patrick Armstrong, the island’s Medical Director and a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, the call from the Lieutenant Governor to tell him he had been awarded an MBE came at a rather unexpected moment…

“I was totally shocked. I was actually in the hospital theatre, so it took me a few minutes to take it in!” 

Calling the honour both “humbling” and “wonderful”, Mr Armstrong, like Dr Muscat, was keen to again highlight the collective work of the island’s professionals, saying that “while it’s nice to be singled out, I have to pay tribute to many colleagues across Government and in the medical world, who try to keep our island safe.”

Thanking his colleagues in the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC), he said he "just had to recognise all the hard work they have to put in."

Pictured: The island's Medical Director, Patrick Armstrong, said it was "surreal" to receive the award while still working through the pandemic.

Dr Megan Mathias, Jersey’s former Group Director of Policy who stepped up to lead the island’s Public Health Policy until September 2020, said that the honour had left her “deeply touched,” commending a team who “Jersey should be rightly proud of.”

She said that, in particular, the team excelled in having “to make a decision about the balance of good that we could achieve through our covid public health policy and trying to navigate that very difficult path.”

Dr Mathias acknowledged the “fantastic cooperation with people in Health, particularly with the Health Minister and Chief Minister", adding: "It was genuinely a privilege to be a part of such a co-ordinated, hardworking team.”

She added that, although she was no longer on the island, having returned to her home of Wales, she had been “keeping a close eye on things from a distance” and said “thank you” to Jersey for recognising the work her and the team had done.

Pictured: Former Group Director of Policy, Megan Mathias, thanked her Jersey team for their hard work through stressful times. 

Outside of the covid responders, Autism Jersey Chair Nicholas Winsor has also been recognised for his services to the community. Mr Winsor called the honour a “recognition for all the work” of the “60-plus people involved” in the charity, as well as all the volunteers, partners and individual donations given. 

Having held the role for nine years, Mr Winsor called the role “far and away the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done”, expressing his happiness at both the turnaround in both the charity’s fortunes and the increased awareness of autism on the island over the past decade.

“Autism Jersey is now a well-known charity and as a result people understand autism better” though he pointed out that “we’ve still got some way to go” in spreading that awareness, plans for which include building a new centre for the charity in St. Saviour’s Road. 

Personally, Mr Winsor said he was looking forward to getting to his “very special trip” to Buckingham Palace with his family, but again returned to the “generous” Jersey community, saying that the “one thing that I really value a lot is the way the whole community has rallied around to support Autism Jersey.”

Pictured: Autism Jersey Chairman, Nicholas Winsor, said that the "generous" Jersey community have rallied round Autism Jersey. 

Speaking of the covid responders, Chief Executive Charlie Parker said: "They are outstanding role models for Jersey’s public service. The work they have done for the Island is immeasurable, especially through the pandemic, when their energy and dedication was second to none.  It is great to see the recognition of the hard work they have put into the Government over the years and these awards will be widely welcomed by colleagues across the public service and beyond."

Health Minister Richard Renouf echoed this praise, saying: “I am immensely proud that their work has been recognised in this way. Time and time again, they have shown immense commitment and dedication in their roles when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic."

Chief Minister John Le Fondre added: “It is with great pride that I congratulate these three members of the Government of Jersey for being awarded MBEs."

He continued: "Dr Ivan Muscat, as the Deputy Medical Officer for Health, has played an integral part in the Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and his expertise has been greatly appreciated throughout this challenging period. 

"Mr Patrick Armstrong’s work in STAC has been an asset to the Government during covid-19 and he continues to deliver exceptionally important work for the department. 

"I’d also like to pay tribute to Dr Megan Mathias for her role leading the Policy Unit. She worked across various parts of the Government, with a particular focus on covid-19 advice and guidance for businesses. 

"It has been a privilege to work alongside each of these individuals during our response to the covid-19 pandemic and I congratulate them on the recognition they have received for their efforts.”