South London and Maudsley Trust Psychiatrist wins The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Award 2022
Congratulations to Dr Ahmed Hankir for being recognised in The Sun Who Cares Wins Awards.
Dr Ahmed Hankir, Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded the Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero Award in the The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards for his outstanding commitment, care and willingness to share his own struggles with mental health.
Dr Hankir is also an Academic Clinical Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London as well as Senior Research fellow at the Centre for Mental Health Research in association with Cambridge University.
The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards, in partnership with NHS Charities Together, celebrates healthcare heroes from the frontline NHS staff to ordinary people who go above and beyond.
Dr Ahmed Hankir said: “Ever since I joined South London and Maudsley back in 2019, I have felt empowered and supported to realise my potential. I feel so fortunate to be working for such an amazing organisation where I feel staff can flourish. I want to thank South London and Maudsley, especially my Educational Supervisor Dr Eduardo Iacoponi and my mentor Dr Raj Mohan for believing in me.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the patients who constantly inspire me to work above and beyond the call of duty. I also want to pay tribute to the unsung mental health heroes, the mental health nurses and colleagues working tirelessly on the frontline in our hospitals and in our communities to provide the highest quality mental health care to our patients.”
While in medical school in the UK, Dr Hankir experienced a debilitating episode of psychological distress, triggered by the traumatic events when living in Lebanon.
He is author of The Wounded Healer, an anti-stigma program that blends the power of the performing arts and storytelling with psychiatry, which has been integrated into the medical school curriculum of four UK universities.
He is also known for his work on Muslim mental health, islamophobia and violent extremism.
David Bradley, Chief Executive of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Congratulations to Dr Ahmed Hankir for being recognised in The Sun Who Cares Wins Awards. We are extremely proud of all the work that he has accomplished and his unwavering dedication to reducing stigma around mental ill health.”
The ceremony was hosted by Davina McCall and broadcast on Channel 4 on November 27.