Flexible Workforce’s Operating Department Practitioner, Janet Morrison, wasn’t quite ready for the 6:15am call the day before New Years Eve from her son Peter, but she soon came round as she heard his news.

Peter, who is a Flight Lieutenant in the RAF, had just heard he’d received a commendation in the RAF New Year’s Honours List for his work to streamline software in flight simulators for Hawk jets across the whole RAF.

Janet retired as a Senior Operating Department Practioner (SOPD), but returned to work on our Flexible Workforce, mainly in Theatres Recovery and for the vaccination programme.

She said: “I’m so very proud. Peter has spent his whole career in the RAF. He’s now a fighter pilot teaching others to fly, and my very own Tom Cruise!

“He’s toured the world and was serving on Anglesey when Prince William, now the Prince of Wales, was courting Kate Middleton.

“They were friends, so he always found it amusing having a Prince salute him, as he outranked him.”

Divisional Director of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Will Ainslie, said: “Peter received his commendation from Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, who is the Air and Space Commander of the RAF. In short, lots of gold lanyards, braid and only one strip less than the Air Chief Marshal.”