BMA sponsored nominations for UK national honours and membership of the House of Lords
General information
UK National Honours
The UK honours list is published twice a year (Queen’s Birthday and at New Year). The Prime Minister’s list includes civil honours given to people working in the public services, to those involved in providing service to their local community and to scientists. Civilians may be considered for awards in the Order of the British Empire (Knight/Dame, CBE, OBE or MBE) or for the award of Companion of Honour.
This document describes the system for submitting nominations for national honours and sets out arrangements for the system to facilitate BMA sponsored nominations.
The nomination process
Who can submit a nomination?
Nominations for national honours can come from an individual or from a public/private sector organisation familiar with the work of the candidate. Self-nominations are also accepted but are unlikely to succeed without independent validation.
Nominations should not include a recommendation of which honour the candidate should receive. Many people are nominated for awards and it is very competitive. It is therefore advised that candidates are not informed of their nomination in order to avoid disappointment.
When should nominations be submitted?
Nominations can be submitted at any time of year. The nomination process takes at least 12 to 18 months. Awards are normally given to people whilst they are still active in the area to which the nomination relates and therefore it is recommended that nominations are made at least 12 months before the nominee is expected to retire/stand down. If, after two years, a nominee has not been successful it should be assumed that the nomination has lapsed.
Who should nominations be submitted to?
Nomination forms are sent to the Ceremonial Secretariat of the Cabinet Office.
Ceremonial Secretariat,
Cabinet Office,
35 Great Smith Street,
London
SW1P 3BQ.
Tel. 0207 276 2777
Fax. 0207 276 2766
The Ceremonial Secretariat of the Cabinet Office has various selection committees that oversee the Honours process. As part of the consideration process nominations are looked at on a like-with–like basis by an assessment sub-committee, one of which looks at the field of medicine.
What are the criteria for national honours?
There are no set criteria for national honours but the nomination form states they ‘are looking “for outstanding and innovative service to others, which may be paid or unpaid, but especially selfless service to a voluntary body or to the community, or which brings distinction and quality to UK life.”
At least two letters of endorsement from people familiar with the person’s services must be sent with the nomination form.
Further information
Information about national honours and the nomination process are found on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ceremonial/
Nominators are not kept informed of the progress of nominations but will find out if their candidate has received an award when the lists are published in The London Gazette.
BMA procedures for sponsored nominations for national honours
Who will submit nominations on behalf of the BMA?
The Chief Executive/Secretary will submit all nominations for national honours sent from the association and will also send letters of endorsement when the BMA is asked to act as a referee for a nomination by a third party.
Who should make the initial recommendation?
Recommendations can be made by anyone, including BMA members, committee members or chairs, division members or secretaries, BMA staff, members of other organisations or members of the public.
Who should the recommendations be submitted to?
Recommendations for a BMA sponsored nomination should be submitted either directly to the council secretariat or via a divisional secretary or committee secretariat.
Who will decide whether or not the BMA will submit or endorse a nomination for a national honour?
This decision should be taken by the awards and honours subcommittee of the organisation committee which should ensure that it has sufficient information and referees’ testimonies to make a fair and informed recommendation to the Chief Executive/Secretary. This will be an additional function of this committee, which already make decisions on BMA awards and honours.
If the BMA is asked to endorse the nomination of a member the decision whether or not to agree to this should be made by the awards and honours subcommittee of the organisation committee.
It should be noted that the Cabinet Office receives a significant number of nominations for national honours and that it is therefore extremely competitive. If a nomination is submitted or endorsed by the BMA it should be acknowledged by members and the individual who is being nominated that this by no means guarantees that an honour will be awarded. Expectations must not be unduly high.
The awards and honours subcommittee is under no obligation to recommend that the BMA submit or endorse a nomination for national honours. Each case will be considered on its own merits and the committee should use as much information as possible on which to judge their decision. For example, if there is a lack of information on a person’s achievements, regional staff could be asked if they are aware of the nominee’s work at a local level. If sufficient information cannot be collected this would be acceptable grounds on which to decline to make a recommendation.
When should the BMA submit or endorse a nomination for a national honour?
All recommendations for the BMA to submit a nomination for national honours or requests for the BMA to supply a letter of endorsement should be considered on a case by case basis. Nominations should only be submitted if the association considers the work/achievement of the nominee to be outstanding and that they have made a significant contribution to the BMA or a specific area/cause. Nominations should only be made if the Association has sufficient verified evidence of the nominee’s achievements. In making nominations the BMA should be aware of the importance of recognising diversity, although this should never be the sole criteria for inclusion of an individual in the list.
The BMA may submit a nomination on the basis of a member’s outstanding and sustained services to the BMA. Examples of this may include when:
- a member has been a long serving member of one or more committees and has contributed significantly to the work of that committee(s),
- a member has been influential in maintaining/reviving the BMA at a divisional level and representing the profession on a local basis,
- a member has stood as an outstanding leader of the profession, for example as Chair of a committee, as a lead negotiator or as the lead contributor to a BMA campaign.
In exceptional instances it may be appropriate for the BMA to submit a nomination or act as a referee for a BMA member on the basis of work that they have done that was not on behalf of the Association.
This would occur if a member had demonstrated outstanding work which has in some way represented or raised the profile of the medical profession or had done work in their capacity as a doctor which the Association deemed to be outstanding and worthy of a notional honour. Examples may include:
- working as the member of a representative organisation, governing body or regulatory body to help further the status of, or support the working lives of healthcare professionals,
- carrying out charitable work to support and give help to doctors experiencing difficulties either at work or in their personal lives,
- innovation and achievement in providing health care services to the local community and improving access and participation amongst disadvantaged groups,
- sustained commitment to raising awareness or providing information to the public on a particular health topic.
The Appointments Commission is independent of government and holds responsibility for making recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen for non-party political life peerages. The recommendations for non-party political peerages are made on merit, with nominations being assessed against the published criteria. The Commission will consider both self-nominations and nominations by another person or organisation.
Information about the Appointments Commission and the process for appointing non-party political peers can be found at www.lordsappointments.gov.uk
Who is eligible to become a non-party political life peer?
Anyone who is over 21 years of age, is a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen and is resident in the UK for tax purposes is eligible for consideration by the Appointments Commission. They should also be able to devote the time necessary to make an active and effective contribution to the work of the House of Lords. It is recognised, however, that the working lives of some members may limit the involvement they can have, in such cases recommendations would be made at the discretion of the Commission on the basis that the House of Lords could benefit immediately from their expertise and that in the later stages of their career the peer will be able to spend more time in the House.
Against what criteria are nominations judged?
The Commission will be seeking to recommend nominees:
- With a record of significant achievement within their chosen way of life that demonstrates a range of experience, skills and competencies;
- Who are able to make an effective and significant contribution to the work of the House of Lords, not only in their areas of particular interest and special expertise but the wide range of other issues coming before the House;
- With some understanding of the constitutional framework, including the place of the House of Lords, and the skills and qualities needed to be an effective member of the House – for example, nominees should be able to speak with independence and authority;
- With the time available to ensure they can make an effective contribution within the procedures and working practices of the House of Lords. This does not necessarily mean the same amount of time expected of “working peers”. The Commission recognises that many active members continue with their professional and other working interests and this can help maintain expertise and experience;
- Who are able to demonstrate outstanding personal qualities, in particular integrity and independence;
- With a strong and personal commitment to the principles and highest standards of public life. Details of the resolutions adopted by the House on the declaration and registration of Lords’ interests can be found on Parliament’s website at http://www.parliament.uk
- Who are independent of any political party. Nominees and the Commission will need to feel confident of their ability to be independent of party political considerations whatever their past party- political involvement. For this reason, all nominees are asked to respond to the questions on political involvement and activities which are similar to those used for most public appointments.
Nomination forms are available from the Appointments Commission website and in hard copy from the Commission’s offices. All nomination forms must be completed by the nominee themselves.
Nominations to the House of Lords: BMA procedures
The decision about whether or not the BMA will put a name forward, or encourage an individual to nominate themselves, for membership of the House of Lords rests with a group comprising the chief officers of the association, the Chief Executive/Secretary and the chair of the awards and honours subcommittee of the organisation committee. If the person being considered is a member of this group of people he/she should exclude him/herself from the decision-making process. They should be replaced by an independent member of the BMA, for example the chair of one of the craft committees of which the person is not a member.
A nomination form should include information summarising why someone is suitable for recommendation as a non-party political life peer and how they can contribute effectively to the work of the House of Lords. It is also preferable that a CV is attached and sent with the nomination form.
As well as making an initial recommendation to an individual or the Commission, the BMA may also consider acting as a referee for nominations. The names and contact details of a minimum of two referees, one work-related and one personal, must be given so that the Commission can contact them for a written reference later in the process. Written references should not be included at the time of submitting the nomination form.
All short-listed nominees are asked to interview with the Commission. It is at this stage that references will be sought. Anyone who is unsuccessful, at any stage, will be informed in writing. Admission to the House of Lords is very competitive and attracts a great deal of applicants, therefore the process can be very long Between 2001 and 2005 there were only 24 appointments made and so, given the high number of applicants, and the prestigious nature of appointments to the House of Lords, nominees should not raise their expectations unrealistically high and should be aware that their appointment will only be made if it is felt that they can make a significant and effective contribution to the work of the House of Lords.