Cardiff and Vale UHB colleagues recognised in the New Year's Honours List
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is delighted to announce that four of its colleagues have received recognition for their work in healthcare in the King's New Year’s Honours List for 2025.
Professor Zaheer Raza Yousef, Consultant Cardiologist at the University Hospital of Wales, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the treatment of heart failure.
"It’s beyond my wildest dreams to have received this honour,” said Professor Yousef. “I am grateful to all the patients who have trusted me with their healthcare and to my family, friends and colleagues who have helped me research and develop heart failure treatments and services in Wales and beyond. Cardiff University has supported our Africa-Heart Failure project and I look forward to building on these achievements as new treatments emerge for patients with heart failure."
Professor Susan Wong, Professor of Diabetes and Metabolism at Cardiff University and Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes at the University Hospital of Wales, has been awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her outstanding services to diabetes and metabolism.
“I am truly delighted and humbled to receive this award,” said Professor Wong. “I am privileged to work with many professional colleagues, scientific collaborators, members of diabetes charitable organisations and people living with diabetes.
“It is with all of them that I share this honour. As a researcher, clinician and educator, I look forward to contributing to continued advances in science and care for people living with diabetes.”
Dr Richard Lea, Consultant in Acute Medicine and Clinical Director at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, has been honoured with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to acute medicine. Dr Lea said, "Thank you for this incredible honour which I am proud to accept on behalf of our amazing team, whose hard work, professionalism, and dedication to our patients led to this award.
"The journey of Acute Medicine in Cardiff and Vale has been incredible and shows what a huge difference we can make for our patients when we all work together."
Wendy Ansell, Specialist Midwife, also receives an MBE for her services to survivors of harmful practices and to women seeking sanctuary.
“I thoroughly enjoy my job and feel incredibly privileged to support some of our most vulnerable patients as they progress on their journey to becoming parents,” said Wendy.
“This award is not just for me, this is for all of the teams who work to support our patients, and also to give a platform to those women who are seeking sanctuary to enable us to continually improve standards of quality care, improve outcomes and create more accessible services for our patients.”
Suzanne Rankin, CEO and Charles ‘Jan’ Janczewski, Chair to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said:
“We are incredibly proud of our colleagues for their dedicated work supporting people across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan and Wales. This is a well-deserved testament to their contributions to the NHS.
“On behalf of the Health Board, we extend our congratulations to Professor Wong, Professor Yousef, Wendy Ansell and Dr Lea.”