The COVID-19 nomination form and process was implemented in May 2020 and ran for a duration of two years, concluding with the closure of the form in May 2022. The purpose of the form was to establish a more streamlined consideration process and accessible route for the public to nominate individuals in society who had responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison to the existing public nomination form, this new form required significantly less information to be accepted and processed. Notably, it did not necessitate the submission of letters of support, as is typically required. However, the same degree of validation of nomination information was conducted to ensure the necessary high standard of assurance.
Throughout the official lifespan of the process, a total of 6,789 nominations pertaining to COVID-19 were made. This encompassed 5,789 nominations (83.4%) submitted through the dedicated COVID-19 form, while exactly 1000 (16.6%) were made via the existing online form and nomination form. Of the nominations received, 39.8% were referred to DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care), while 29.4% were centrally managed by the Public Nominations team within the Secretariat. The effectiveness of this updated form played a pivotal role in the revision of the standard nomination form.
In May 2020, Her Majesty The Queen agreed to postpone the publication of the Birthday Honours List 2020 until the autumn, allowing the Secretariat and its partner organizations to establish arrangements for identifying additional nominees for COVID-19 service to be included in the list. This was organized to maintain as much consistency as possible with the usual honors processes, ensuring the integrity of the honours system. This accomplishment was exceptional considering the high volume of nominations and the swift turnaround time. The list was ultimately published on 10th October 2020 to recognize and honor those who diligently worked during the early stages of the pandemic.
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