Mr Muhammad Shahed Quraishi, a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), has received the prestigious accolade for the care and treatment he has provided to the many patients he has seen in the 30 years he has spent working in the NHS, 16 of which at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals.
Affectionately known as ‘Q’ by hospital colleagues, the award is also recognition for the thousands of patients he has helped to indirectly treat through the expert training that he has provided to hundreds of trainee surgeons across the world through his innovative ‘ENT Masterclass’ programme and journal.
Mr Quraishi said: “I am completely humbled and honoured to have received an OBE, however, I have to say that this is a team award. I am grateful for the support of everybody at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals – this is a great recognition of the Trust’s commitment to providing high-quality training and patient care. I am very thankful to all those who were responsible for my receiving this great honour and friends and mentors who have written citations in my support and encouraged me throughout my career.
Launched in Doncaster more than 13 years ago, the pioneering series of Masterclasses provide high quality training in the study of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat, for free and have taken place across four continents with participants from across the globe.
Mr Quraishi explains: “Due to the overwhelming national and international demand, within a couple of years we built up a two-year waiting list for our courses.
“The development since then has been phenomenal and we now host training events in fixed hubs which include London, Cape Town, Beijing, Sydney and Berlin and also have an ENT Masterclass Academic Travelling Club which organises annual conferences in developing countries.
“The ENT Masterclass events and ENT Masterclass Annual Journals form part of the world’s biggest ENT training platform and the greatest pleasure I get from organising it is relating it back to where it all began, here in Doncaster – it has really put us on the map.
“These classes rely on the goodwill of an international volunteer faculty from Sydney to New York, consisting of some of the worlds’ leading ENT surgeons who not only teach but pay for their own tickets and expenses. Over the years we have provided over £5 million worth of educational resources free at the point of delivery to trainees. My former boss always used to say ‘there are enough well-meaning people around, you just have to find them’ – it turns out he was right!”
The married father of two holds a host of achievements to date which include being awarded Visiting Professor status at the Capital Medical University in Beijing, achieving the National Clinical Excellence Silver Award in 2015, being a finalist for the Silver Scalpel Award from the Association of Surgeons in Training in 2014, and more recently being elected as the President for the Royal Society of Medicine – a position he will take up next year.
Richard Parker, Chief Executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals said “We are all absolutely delighted and very proud of Mr Quraishi, and the award is absolutely well deserved. Not only is he an excellent surgeon, his contribution in the training and educational field is outstanding. His ability to inspire others internationally, to support ENT training and education I believe is unique and has touched countless colleagues, trainees and patients”.