Elizabeth Fish

Service personnel from RAF Waddington near Lincoln have received commendations in recognition of “meritorious service or true acts of courage whilst deployed on operations overseas”.

Flight Lieutentant Andrew Robson (31) from Lincolnshire serves in 8 Squadron RAF Waddington.

He was deployed to Afghanistan and immediately began improving key working practices.

He has been described as “patient and diplomatic” by commanders, and “his professionalism, determination and humility providing access and influence was in excess of the norm.”

Flight Lieutenant Robson said: “I am honoured and humbled in receiving a Joint Commander’s Commendation for my work on operations in Afghanistan.

“During my tour at 904 Expeditionary Air Wing I was privileged to work alongside determined, courageous and hard working personnel from all three branches of the British military.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my tour and learned much from working alongside NATO personnel also stationed at Kandahar Airfield.”

Alongside Robson getting awards were Corporal Wayne Cockerill (38) from Bridlington, a supplier at RAF Waddington, and Flight Lieutenant Michael Stayt (35) from Oxfordshire.

Group Captain Rich Barrow, Station Commander RAF Waddington, added: “I am extremely proud of all of the recipients of this most deserved award.

“Each a credit to the Service, they set a fine example of the dedication and personal pride so often exhibited by our service men and women.”

United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust (ULHT) has said that it deals “compassionately” with the remains of unborn babies in the light of national debate over clinical waste.

As reported in The Telegraph based on a Channel 4 Dispatches programme, 10 UK hospital trusts have faced criticism over the way they disposed of foetal tissue.

In these cases, foetal tissue is the term used to describe unborn babies under 13 weeks.

According to reports, some trusts incinerated over 13,000 aborted babies with other clinical waste, with some trusts then using the incinerated waste to heat hospitals in “energy from waste” schemes.

An undercover report by Channel 4’s Dispatches also uncovered that the parents of the babies were not informed or aware of what would happen to their babies’ remains.

However, ULHT stated it had a duty of compassionate care to uphold and to treat all patients with dignity.

Therefore, the trust said parents are talked through all the procedures regarding abortion and consent has to be given by the parents for the trust to cremate — not incinerate — the remains.

In a statement, ULHT said: “ULHT has a compassionate and dignified procedure whereby all foetal tissue is cremated at one of our local crematoria.

“Patients are made aware of this procedure and consent is obtained in all cases.

“No foetal tissue at ULHT has been incinerated as clinical waste or used in a waste to energy plant.”