Health boss honoured with MBE after leading Doncaster through Covid pandemic

Dr Rupert Suckling, Doncaster’s Director of Public Health, was presented with his honour this week after being commended in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours of 2022.

Dr Suckling was given the honour for his regular updates during the Covid-19 lockdowns and for rolling out the vaccine programme across the city.

At the time his honour was announced in the summer of 2022, he said it was ‘hard to celebrate’ because of more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths across the city.

While he said he was pleased to receive the honour as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, he said that the loss of more than 1,000 people from Covid in Doncaster and the ongoing cost of living crisis were impossible to ignore.

He said: “Thanks for all the kind words on Birthday Honours.

"It's hard to celebrate given the deaths and disability from Covid in Doncaster and now the cost of living crisis too. It's also hard to be singled out from the Doncaster Council team and all fantastic Public Health Directors

"I'm glad public health in local government has been recognised and I look forward to my colleagues seeing recognition too. Public health has and will always be a team endeavour.”

Dr Suckling gave regular updates about coronavirus in Doncaster, advising the council and residents on how best to protect people in the borough through a series of weekly updates.

He ordered the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse to be held behind closed doors in September 2020 following a spike in cases.