Professor Adam Gordon awarded prestigious William Farr Medal by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

Professor Adam Gordon, President Elect of the British Geriatrics Society, has been awarded the William Farr Medal 2021 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. He was presented his medal on 21 October 2021.

The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries’ William Farr Medal was inaugurated in 2006 and is presented annually to recognise the significant contribution by a UK healthcare professional to improving care for older people. The William Farr Medal 2021 was awarded to Professor Adam Gordon in recognition of his work as a clinical academic with interests in the implementation of evidence-based models of care to deliver improved health outcomes for older people living with frailty, particularly in the care home sector.

The medal is named after William Farr, a 19th century licentiate of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries who later became a chief statistician in the Office of the Registrar General. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and developed an international reputation for his system of disease classification.

In the year preceding each award, nominations are sought from members of the Society’s Court and also from the Presidents of the Royal Medical Colleges within the United Kingdom. Previous award winners include Professor Gillian Mead, Professor Alasdair MacLullich, Professor Miles Witham and Professor Simon Conroy.

Professor Adam Gordon commented:

This has been a particularly gruelling year for older people with frailty who live in long-term care and for those of us who work with and provide care for them. The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries’ recognition of the work we have done means a great deal to me, but it will mean even more to the care home staff, residents and families that I work with. They often feel on the edge, neglected and ignored by mainstream healthcare. This medal is further recognition of the fact that they are no longer ignored: they matter, the people that work with them and advocate for them matter, and the progress they’re making is real, and worthy of recognition.”