Northampton General Hospital surgeon ‘incredibly proud’ to receive MBE for admirable work in Africa

A surgeon at Northampton General Hospital is “incredibly proud” to receive an MBE for his admirable work in Africa.

Robert Hicks MBE, who has been a consultant vascular surgeon at the hospital for the last 23 years, received the Honour for his services to health in Northern Ghana.

He has been praised for leading a multi-disciplinary surgical team and other healthcare workers to support villages of the Savannah region surrounding Carpenter.

Robert – who is married to Dr Jo Inchley, a specialist doctor in NGH’s breast unit – started his invaluable global work in 2011 with worldwide charity Hernia International.

In 2018, alongside his wife Jo and consultant paediatrician Anne Smith, Robert set up a Northamptonshire-based charity called Hernia International Carpenter – to concentrate their efforts on supporting that particular area.

“I am humbled and incredibly proud of the recognition the MBE brings for all the work of our charity, for those people who live in this underserved region of Ghana in a way that has far exceeded my expectations,” said Robert.

“Each year teams of volunteers, including lots of staff at NGH, have given up their time to provide healthcare for this community. Each one of them has made a lasting difference.”

Robert, from Yardley Hastings, has made nine trips to Ghana since 2011 – six of which have been since the charity was launched in 2018.

The charity has performed more than 2,500 hernia operations, including 90 over the course of their last nine-day trip in November 2023.

Robert was inspired to start working in Africa when he saw how much of a life-changing difference simple hernia operations – which he commonly does at NGH – could make to a community.

He said: “Repairing hernias reduces suffering, pain and in some cases prevents death from strangulation of the bowel.

“Most Ghanaian patients are farmers reliant on working to support their families. By having their hernias repaired, the patients are able to return to work and continue providing for their families.”

Robert’s charity has been working in partnership with Canadian organisation Ghana Rural Integrated Development (GRID) and Ghanaian charity Northern Empowerment Association (NEA).

This has seen funds of more than $10 million raised to build a hospital in Carpenter, which opened in 2022 as part of a major initiative to improve the lives of locals.

Now, the focus is on raising sufficient funds to develop a centre for health education and research – allowing the charity to support the educational needs of staff and provide training to professionals all over Ghana.

It was Robert’s passion for his global work that inspired charity co-founder Anne to join the UK team in 2017 as a paediatrician.

“His courage and leadership sparked my continued commitment to this collective partnership against global health inequality,” she said.

“For over 10 years he has stepped outside of his comfort zone to selflessly reduce this health inequality, whilst also training local surgeons to ensure sustainable healthcare in this region.

“It has been a great pleasure to work alongside Robert and Jo at Hernia International Carpenter. This honour is very well deserved.”

Karen Leyden, a consultant anaesthetist at NGH, has accompanied Robert on five of his trips to Ghana.

“It takes substantial vision, bravery and dedication to lead multiple teams and deliver excellent healthcare to a remote population in great need,” she said.

“Rob has displayed these qualities in abundance, as well as being a motivational and supportive leader.”