The Queen's Medal is RCVS' most prestigious honour.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has awarded the Queen's Medal posthumously to Simon Doherty.

The College's highest honour, which will be accepted by his family, recognises Prof Doherty's distinguished career and outstanding achievements.

He received two nominations for the Queen's Medal, one from Fellowship chair and former RCVS president Niall Connell and one from British Veterinary Association (BVA) president Liz Mullineaux. Both nominations were submitted before Prof Doherty died in December 2024.

Prof Doherty's veterinary career encompassed a wide range of fields, including academia, civil service and the voluntary sector. He has also played a key role in veterinary politics, serving as president of the BVA, a member of Northern Ireland Veterinary Association's council, and founding director of VetSustain.

In his nomination, Dr Connell particularly highlighted Prof Doherty's contribution to One Health approaches.

Dr Connell noted Prof Doherty's dedication to sustainable animal agriculture and aquaculture, and their links to global health and novel vaccine design. Prof Doherty's interests also included animal welfare, environmental impact and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Connell wrote: “Simon makes tremendous contributions in so many areas in our veterinary world and beyond with teaching, delivery of many scientific papers and presentations at conferences and seminars.

“His work engages with the education of young people, undergraduates, our professions and the public. He also shares widely with our professions and the public on a variety of social media platforms, providing information and encouragement of worthy projects.”

In her nomination, Dr Mullineaux reflected on Prof Doherty's BVA presidency, which saw the association focus on sustainability and One Health approaches. She highlighted Prof Doherty's role in publishing BVA's sustainable agriculture, recognising the veterinary profession's place in the One Health agenda.

RCVS' Queen's Medal was launched in 2013, with permission from the late Queen Elizabeth II. It recognises veterinary surgeons which have excelled in their field.

Speaking about this year's award, RCVS Linda Belton said: “We’re very grateful to Simon’s family who agreed to accept his posthumous award.

“Despite the very sad circumstances, I hope they take immense pride in all he achieved in areas such as One Health, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, veterinary public health and international trade.”

The award will be presented as part of RCVS Day on 4 July 2025.