Burns consultant receives honour

William Dickson implanted a balloon under the scalp of a badly-burned girl

A burns specialist whose team treated victims of a major explosion at a steelworks has been appointed an MBE in the New Year Honours.

William Dickson from Chepstow, director of the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery in Swansea, is honoured for services to medicine.

Three workers died and another nine were badly injured in the explosion at Port Talbot in 2001.

Colleagues of the consultant said the honour was "richly deserved".

Mr Dickson also operated on five-year-old Sidra Afzal, who was badly burned as a toddler, in 2007.

She suffered 25% burns from cooking oil in an accident at her home, leaving her bald on one side of her head.

Mr Dickson implanted a balloon under her scalp to allow new skin and hair to grow.

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust acting chief executive Calum Campbell said the honour was richly deserved.

He said Mr Dickson and his team were "closely involved in the role the centre played in the aftermath of the Port Talbot Corus explosion in 2001".

"And, of course, the many other burns injuries cases which may not always make the news, but which still need the exceptional care and treatment offered by the centre," he added.

Libby Jones founded a helpline and counselling service for rape victims

"We are very proud to have Bill Dickson at the helm of the centre, and everyone at the trust will be delighted that his dedication and hard work has been recognised with this honour."

Mr Dickson's team also treated the teenage victims of a house fire in Llanelli in 2007.

Another recipient of an MBE is Libby Jones, 55, of Treharris near Merthyr Tydfil, who founded a helpline and counselling service for victims of rape.

She became involved in counselling 17 years ago after she was a victim of abuse, and receives the honour for services to vulnerable people.

She set up the New Pathways project in 1997 in Merthyr Tydfil and established a sexual assault referral centre (Sarc) in the town in 2005.

Since then others have opened in Risca in 2006, Carmarthen in 2007 and Swansea earlier in 2008.

"There's a huge historic waiting list of people who are still suffering and need help. These are people who suffered when there were no groups like ours to help them," said Mrs Jones, who has two grown-up children.

She said she was "absolutely shocked" to receive an MBE.

"It's such an honour - I feel a bit overwhelmed. If it will highlight the area of work I'm in then I would have done my job," she said.

Rex Hendricksen from Cardiff is also appointed MBE for his voluntary service to scouts in the city.