Willie Hamilton awarded CBE in New Year’s Honours

Professor Willie Hamilton, Chief Medical Officer at LV=, was recognised in the New Year’s Honours List with a CBE for services to improve early cancer diagnosis. Alongside his role at LV=, Willie is also a Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at the University of Exeter, where his pioneering research has saved many lives by creating tools for GPs to detect cancer in the early stages.

As a notable expert within this field, Willie is involved in various national cancer diagnosis advisory panels and research supported by the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK. His extensive experience as a practising GP means that he is well placed to advise on LV= protection underwriting and complex claims. 

He has held the role of CMO for over 20 years, allowing more LV= policies such as critical illness to evolve, so that it reflects advances within the medical field. Willie’s deep knowledge in medical risk has informed our underwriters about important symptoms, which in some cases has led to identifying underlying cancer for some LV= customers and facilitating faster access to necessary treatment.

“In the last decade, we’ve seen the number of people being tested for possible cancer increase considerably – and we know earlier diagnosis saves lives,” said Willie. “Thousands of people are walking around in Britain today who would have been dead otherwise.”

“The UK has historically lagged well behind the rest of Europe on cancer survival, but we’re starting to turn that around. It’s truly gratifying to be part of that. Now we’re full steam ahead into 2019. Our country’s cancer survival rates are getting better but that’s not enough. We want to be leading the way.”
More information about Willie Hamilton’s medical research can be found here.