BTS Meritorious Service Award 2021

Dr Robina Coker is a Consultant & Honorary Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at Hammersmith Hospital and Imperial College London, and Clinical Director of the NationaI Institute of Health Research (NIHR) London North West Clinical Research Network.

Dr Coker made several pivotal contributions to the Society’s work, which has resulted in wider patient benefit. Among these are her key role in the establishment of the BTS Lung Disease Registry programme and her significant contribution to the Registry steering group, coupled with her leadership of the sarcoidosis registry from 2011 to 2019.

She has been instrumental in the Society’s work on air travel and lung disease, establishing the BTS Air Travel Working Party in 2000, which she again chaired in 2011, producing two sets of recommendations for air travel for those with lung disease. More recently through chairing the BTS Air Travel Clinical Statement group.

In 2019 she was awarded the 2019 Bronze Medal from the Royal Aeronautical Society, in recognition of her work developing recommendations to improve safety for passengers with lung disease.

Dr Coker was also involved in the Society’s governance holding the office of Honorary Treasurer and Trustee between 2011-2014.

Dr Coker said:
“I am truly delighted to receive this award from the BTS. It is a huge honour, and very greatly appreciated. It has been an enormous privilege and pleasure to work with Sheila and Sally and the BTS team over a number of years.

“The respiratory community is exceptionally fortunate in having such an outstanding professional Society leading the way and supporting their members tirelessly, in order to improve the health of their patients.”

Professor Andrew Menzies-Gow is NHSE&I National Clinical Director (NCD) for Respiratory Disease, a consultant respiratory physician and director of the Lung Division and Deputy Medical Director at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

In his role as NCD Professor Menzies-Gow has provided steady leadership to respiratory medicine and built a close working relationship with the Society.

Throughout the pandemic Professor Menzies-Gow has worked tirelessly to ensure that guidance and interventions took into account the experience of clinicians on the ground, as well as the best available evidence.

Since his appointment, Professor Menzies-Gow has been very supportive of the role of BTS, highlighting its expertise and advocating for its involvement whenever appropriate within NHS&I.

Professor Menzies-Gow commented:
“I am honoured to receive this award. I am very grateful to colleagues for providing me with help and support whenever I have asked over the last couple of years and it has been a pleasure to work so closely and constructively with the BTS during the pandemic.

"I look forward to continuing our close working relationship to help transform the lives of people with respiratory disease.“

About the BTS Meritorious Service Award.
This award is intended to recognise the service of those BTS members who have provided an exceptional service to the Society far above that which one would normally expect for their position/role.