A GP trainee from London, who is an advocate for patients with hearing loss has been recognised with a Points of Light award.

Dr Devina Maru has developed educational resources for GPs to help reduce variations in accessibility to GP practices, promotes the Accessible Information Standard and ensures hearing loss is considered across all aspects of primary care activity, including consultations and continued care.

She has also been involved in health policy work around the future of primary care and is a co-founder of a national platform ‘The Big GP Consultation’ to discuss the future vision of general practice. Additionally, she has made efforts to significantly tackle educational and health inequalities in deprived communities

Dr Maru said: “What an amazing honour to receive this Points of Light Award by the Prime Minister, I am humbled and deeply grateful. Delighted to have also received it on the NHS 75th Birthday as my voluntary work for health inequalities, young people, and those with hidden disabilities have all been done whilst working as a Primary Care Doctor.

“There are currently 12 million people in the UK living with hearing loss and I will continue being an advocate for patients to help reduce variations in accessibility to GP practices, promote the Accessible Information Standard and ensure hearing loss is considered across all aspects of primary care activity including consultations and continued care.”

Her extensive work in the education and health sectors highlighted some of the challenges faced by young people in living healthy and fulfilling lives, leading her to co-launch ‘Health Pioneers Charity’ in 2020. The charity has since collaborated with 10 organisations, and helped over 500 young people.

Dr Maru added: “Whilst working as a doctor in London, I have seen how wider determinants of health, access to care and health behaviours have resulted in health inequalities amongst our communities. I strongly believe we must encourage and foster health promotion and have a proactive approach. It has been a great journey in co-founding ‘Health Pioneers Charity’ to address the significant health and education inequalities that exist in the most socio-economically deprived areas amongst young people. We have worked closely with communities, schools, and local authorities, providing educational, mentorship and leadership programmes for young people encouraging social empowerment and building communities.”

The charity provides educational mentorship and leadership programmes for young people, helping them to become future health pioneers of society.

The award for Dr Maru coincided with the 75th anniversary of the NHS.

See more about ‘Health Pioneers Charity’ and ‘The Big GP Consultation’