Miss Jean McDonald, the first Black woman to be appointed consultant urological surgeon in the NHS, shortlisted for clinical leader of the year at the 2024 HSJ Awards
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR HEALTHCARE EXCELLENCE
North Middlesex University Hospital is delighted to announce Miss Jean McDonald has been shortlisted for Clinical Leader of the Year at the HSJ Awards, recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare and securing a place at the prestigious awards ceremony later this year.
Over 1300 entries have been received for this year’s awards, with 234 projects and individuals reaching the final shortlist. The high volume and exceptional quality of applications showcases the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed within the UK’s healthcare networks.
Following the thorough judging process Miss Jean McDonald was shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held later this year (Thursday 21 November),
In January 1995 Jean McDonald was the first Black woman to be appointed a consultant urological surgeon in the NHS, and is approaching the completion of three decades as an inspirational and high-achieving pioneer within the NHS and within her surgical field. Jean’s nomination for this prestigious award is an opportune moment to look back and celebrate the unique contribution she has made as a surgeon, a leader, an educator and philanthropist. Jean is a unique clinician, who has changed the lives of thousands of patients, staff and peers.
She first developed an interest in urology while working in Newmarket in East Anglia, but in the 1980s, at a crucial period in her career, there was no specific training programme in urology. While a less tenacious clinician might have been discouraged, or struggled to progress in their chosen field, Jean turned the situation into a driving factor that inspired her to forge a self-determined career that not only expanded the frontiers of representation in urological surgery, but also opened up new pathways for those to follow in her footsteps.
Jean’s determination and resolve would see her identify general surgeons with either skills or interest in urology and urological procedures, and request to come observe them – helping identify the need for educators and mentors in this emerging and crucial sub-specialty of urology. Throughout 29 years as a consultant urological surgeon, Jean has ensured that mentoring and ongoing development and learning remain high priorities in her busy work schedule, as well living these values outside of work.
Jean works at North Mid which serves a community disproportionately impacted by health inequity. Miss McDonald sets a high bar for clinical practice and leadership, while simultaneously exemplifying a commitment to improving training opportunities and standards across the multi-disciplinary team. She champions and supports aspiring urological surgeons, as well as training nurses into specialist roles for specific conditions. She consistently demonstrates and teaches openness, trialling new techniques and technology, while also opening doors to new experiences for her trainees across professional roles.
Miss Jean McDonald said “I am delighted to be shortlisted for Clinical Leader of the Year at the HSJ Awards 2024. Whatever the result ‘on the night’, I already feel like a winner for getting this far”.
Dr Vicky Jones, Medical Director and Consultant Paediatrician at North Middlesex University Hospital said “We are exceptionally proud of Jean. In addition to her amazing work here at North Mid, her unwavering dedication to improving urological care and treatment capacity globally is exemplified by her commitment to self-funding teaching trips to Senegal and other African nations. She devotes weeks at a time to educate clinicians in these health systems in the latest surgical techniques, and exchanging knowledge and skills peer-to-peer, while also offering her own NHS trainees hard-to-come-by opportunities to develop a rich understanding of clinical experience outside the NHS and UK.”
HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge Miss Jean McDonald for being shortlisted in the category of Clinical Leaders of the Year.”
“However, it’s always important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS.”
“We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector. Huge thanks also go to our headline partner, Vodafone Business, who share our mission of driving the standard of healthcare excellence and creating better patient experiences.”
The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Evolution London on 21st November 2024. The event will not only reflect the HSJ Awards’ enduring ethos of “sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and innovating drivers of better service” but will also serve as a timely and well-deserved thank you to the sector.
The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ awards can be found at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/ alongside details of the Awards partners at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/partners .