‘I am honoured’: Hospital consultant receives award for helping future NHS doctors

A hospital consultant has received a prestigious award for his commitment to supporting the training and assessment of future NHS doctors.Dr Rajaratnam Mathialagan, consultant gastroenterologist at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, has been honoured with the 2024 UK PACES Champion Award in recognition of his exceptional dedication to the Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES) examination.The PACES exam evaluates trainee doctors’ clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It is a key step for medical professionals as they enter specialist training.

Dr Mathialagan is the PACES chair and host examiner at North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech, and has been a tireless advocate for the exam and its delivery.This is all alongside his day-to-day role as a stomach and intestine specialist, treating many thousands of patients over the 25 years he has worked at the QEH.Members of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP), which leads the PACES exams, presented Dr Mathialagan with this award in December to celebrate his remarkable contributions over two decades. Dr Mathialagan’s nomination came after he played a crucial role in ensuring that doctors could still sit these essential exams during Covid lockdowns.“I am honoured to receive the PACES Champion Award and to be part of a community dedicated to training the next generation of physicians”, he said.