National medal marks Lindsay’s 36-year QVH career

A senior consultant at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH) has been recognised with a national award for her ‘outstanding contribution’ over a 36-year career.

Lindsay Winchester started at QVH in 1989, first as a senior registrar and since 1994 as Consultant in our Orthodontics team, which she has built up to be one of the very best in the country.

As well as leading the department for the past 25 years, Lindsay has held posts as Regional Advisor in Orthodontics for the Royal College of Surgeons, Chair of the Specialty Training Committee in Orthodontics for South Thames and examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons in Orthodontics.

It is for this body of work, and her continued influence across the sector with the people she has trained over time, that she became the latest recipient of the Ballard Award for Outstanding Contribution to Orthodontics.

The award is not given annually, but on merit, a medal awarded to people who have made a significant contribution to the specialty of orthodontics in its widest sense.

It is named after Clifford Ballard, regarded as a key figure in the history of Orthodontics by the British Orthodontics Society, and England’s first Professor of Orthodontics in 1956.

Lindsay received the award at the Consultants Orthodontics Group conference earlier this year, from the COG President, Andrew Flett.

“I was very humbled and surprised when I knew I was to be awarded this prestigious medal. I have been an NHS Orthodontist for 36 years so it    was very nice to get the award after a long career, and in front of some colleagues I had trained with many years ago,” said Lindsay.

“I’ve been at QVH 35 years – where do the years go! I think developing the unit here has been the achievement I am most proud of, we are one of the largest in the country, the only three that are bigger are in dental schools.

“I had inspirational teachers who taught me the importance of rigorously thorough diagnosis and treatment planning especially for our multidisciplinary surgical cases. This is the basis of our treatment philosophy at East Grinstead, as well as carefully listening to the patients’ concerns and expectations.

“It is always wonderful to treat young patients, many of whom have significant facial deformity and see their confidence grow as they progress through treatment. I was particularly humbled and thrilled to recently receive the “excellent patient experience award” at QVH having been nominated by a number of my patients. One orthognathic patient commented, “Lindsay has transformed me from a withdrawn adolescent to a confident young woman who has just begun to study dentistry”. This really makes it all seem so worthwhile!”

Under Lindsay’s guidance, QVH has become a major teaching and training centre, and she has personally trained over 100 registrars.

She added: “The people I have trained have been very International coming from Asia, Malta, Germany, Egypt and the Middle East. I am still in contact with many of the people I have trained and have witnessed them becoming Consultants all over the World.”

Alex Cash, Consultant Orthodontist, who has worked with Lindsay for many years, paid tribute to her career and influence, saying: “I’m sure I speak for all her colleagues, that it has been an enormous pleasure and privilege to work with her at our unit.

“She has grown that into possibly the largest orthodontic unit in the country, outside of the dental teaching hospitals, and we have had the great luxury of teaching and training a large number of staff.

“The time she has put into helping those colleagues has been key in developing the careers of many, who find themselves in clinical team’s right across the country and beyond too.

“As I reflect on the privilege of working with Lindsay, having those strong relationships with friends and colleagues is crucial to discuss complex issues, to share sound leadership processes and good judgement. I am quite certain that my career, as many of the people who have been through our unit, has been enhanced by working with her. Lindsay thoroughly deserves being bestowed the Clifford Ballard Medal.”

Pictured above: Andrew Flett, COG President (left) and Lindsay Winchester, Consultant Orthodontist (right)

For more information, please email the QVH Press Office at qvh.communications@nhs.net