THE former Blackburn with Darwen public health director who played a leading role in the battle against coronavirus has been recognised in King Charles III's first birthday honours list

Professor Dominic Harrison has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to vulnerable people in Lancashire.

The Salford-born father of four was a significant figure in the national effort to tackle Covid-19 as well in the campaign to contain pandemic locally.

Prof Harrison wrote a weekly column on the coronavirus pandemic for the Lancashire Telegraph from its outbreak until his retirement in March last year.

The 63-year-old served as the Director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen from 2010.

He led the public health response in the borough throughout the Covid pandemic after it was hit particularly hard during the first 12 to18 months of the pandemic and found itself with tighter Covid-19 restrictions for longer than any other area of England.

Prof Harrison highlighted the impact of long-term health inequalities in driving transmission and worsening the impact of the coronavirus pandemic both at a local and national level.

He said: “I am very grateful to be awarded the BEM in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours list for work for vulnerable communities particularly in relation to social and health inequalities.

“I consider this a recognition of the whole of the Blackburn with Darwen public health team’s work on inequalities in health over the past decade.

“I feel this award reflects the achievements of the borough as a whole.

“As a Catholic Christian, I believe that we are all born equal and that 'every single person's life is as precious to God as every other person’s'. This belief has profound implications.

“The way society and the economy are organised can, unfairly and avoidably, make some of us too comfortable and some of us too vulnerable.

"To create equal life chances for all, a good director of public health will often need to 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable'.

“Public servants should not remain silent in the face of obvious social injustice.

"A key role of public health is to make visible the otherwise hidden consequences of unjust public policy on vulnerable populations.”

Lancashire Telegraph editor Richard Duggan said: "Congratulations to Professor Harrison on his well-deserved accolade.

"His weekly coronavirus column for the Lancashire Telegraph was not just a valuable addition to its coverage of the pandemic but a key means of getting accurate and important information swiftly to the public."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley said: "We were so fortunate to have Dom as our director of public health during the Covid pandemic. As well as being incredibly knowledgeable and professional, Dom worked hard to build trust with our local communities to ensure they felt supported and listened to throughout such a terrible time. "

Prof Harrison's Lancashire County Council counterpart Dr Sakthi Karunanithi said: "I am so pleased to see Dom being recognised for his services to public health, particularly during the heights of the pandemic when he was constantly listening and responding to concerns from people.

"I had the pleasure of working with him closely and would like to congratulate Dom."

Blackburn with Darwen Council chief executive Denise Park said: “Throughout his career, Dominic held a passionate interest in health inequalities and the impact of poverty on people’s health and life chances. It seems fitting that he has been recognised by the King.

“Personally, I feel fortunate to have had his expertise to draw on when making some incredibly tough decisions during the pandemic.”