Ben Banerjees has been awarded for his services to the city, the NHS and the Army by the University of Sunderland
Ben Banerjee as he received his Honorary Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Sunderland(Image: University of Sunderland.)
A surgeon who began his NHS career by working as a porter has started his retirement after more than 40 years of service. Ben Banerjee first signed up to help patients in 1982, when he worked as a porter at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Now he has stepped down from his role as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. And as he begins his retirement, he is also celebrating being presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine in recognition of his services to the city, the NHS and the Army by the University of Sunderland.
Ben studied medicine at Newcastle University, where he remains an honorary clinical senior lecturer in vascular surgery. Vascular patients need treatment to help the network of vessels in the body, including arteries, veins and capillaries, which carry blood.
He picked up his NHS career in Sunderland again as he rejoined the Trust in 2004 after completing his training in the North East, based out of hospitals in Newcastle. He followed in the footsteps of his dad, Ram Banerjee, who had worked as a doctor at Sunderland Royal Hospital and retired in 2000.
Speaking on his career, Ben said: “I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the Trust and the people of Sunderland, not only for a job and a career as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon but also for facilitating my military career through multiple deployments. Not bad for a lad from Hillview Junior School.
Surgeon Ben Banerjee pictured with colleagues on the vascular ward at Sunderland Royal Hospital(Image: South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust)
In addition to working for the NHS, Ben joined the Army Reserves while still a medical student. This saw him deployed on five military operations in: Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Following his time serving with the 201 Northern Field Hospital finishing as Commanding Officer, he was appointed as Deputy Commander Reserves South, which supports five reserve field hospitals.
In 2019, he was appointed as one of the Queen’s Honorary Surgeons, now a King’s Honorary Surgeon. He continues his Army Reserve service as Head Army Healthcare.
Ben continued: “This has been a significant commitment since 2012 to Army management, culminating in my current post, which has been extended by two years, as Head Army Healthcare Reserves. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at the Trust, serving the people of Sunderland to the best of my ability in the NHS and the Army.
“I leave behind a fantastic team everywhere in this hospital, all of whom have supported me in some way over the years. The one philosophy I would align myself to, and hopefully leave behind, is selfless commitment.”
Dr Shaz Wahid, the Trust’s Executive Medical Director said: “As Ben begins his retirement, we thank him for his service to the NHS throughout his years. During this time, he will have helped care for thousands of patients and used his expertise to not only treat those we look after, but share his knowledge with his colleagues.
“His achievements through the Army are also a testament to his dedication to helping others and he is to be congratulated for the distinctions he has earned.”
The Trust is an Armed Forces Friendly employer. It supports staff who are reservists to take time out to train and for deployments. It is part of the Step Into Health programme, which encourages and helps veterans into healthcare careers.
It is a Veterans Aware Trust, which means it provides them with priority access to NHS hospital care for any condition related to their service, subject to the needs of others. It is also part of the ERS scheme and first received Gold accreditation in 2017. For more information visit here.
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