Stafford public health consultant wins award for exceptional support of trainees
A public health consultant from Stafford has been named the educational supervisor of the year at the West Midlands Public Health Awards.
Professor Zafar Iqbal was given the award at a ball last month, after being collectively nominated by the trainees he had recently supervised during their time at St George’s Hospital in Stafford.
The award goes to an educational supervisor who has gone above and beyond in their role to provide exceptional support, training and supervision to public health registrars.
An extract from the nomination said: "Zafar has been an educational supervisor for many years and his support for registrars deserves to be recognised as exceptional.
"His implicit attitude towards trainees is that we are a great asset, and this alone works magic on trainees’ confidence that we can, and are, making an important contribution to the organisation and the health of the public.
"His consistency, enthusiasm, availability, warmth and encouragement are immensely powerful in unlocking the best in people, and on a practical level he has a great ability to ‘open doors’, identifying opportunities for his trainees to showcase their work at high profile local, regional or national meetings.
"The legacy of a placement with Zafar is a new found confidence in the value your expertise adds and an expectation that we should shout from the rooftops about the benefit of public health work."
Professor Iqbal said: "I am humbled to receive this award and would like to thank the trainees who nominated me. Public health trainees make such a fantastic contribution to the public health function within the trust, they really are a valuable and amazing asset.
"Trainees bring fresh ideas, technical expertise and turbo charged energy!
"Midlands Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust has a strong reputation in the fields of education and research, which we see as the foundations of good clinical care and has recently been awarded University Trust status by Keele University, reflecting our commitment to continuous improvement and clinical excellence."
