HEALTH workers must not be forgotten for their hard work during the pandemic, nurses union RCN warned yesterday, as leading scientists received knighthoods in the New Year’s Honours list.

England’s chief medical officer (CMO), Professor Chris Whitty, deputy CMO Jonathan Van-Tam and Wales’ and Scotland’s CMOs, Frank Atherton and Dr Gregor Smith, have been given the title following the rollout of the vaccination programme.

There are also damehoods for UK Health Security Agency chief Dr Jenny Harries, and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) chief executive Dr June Raine.