Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Director of Imperial's Institute of Global Health Innovation, has been awarded Armenia's highest state honour.

Professor Darzi was presented with the Order of Honor by the President of Armenia, His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan, in a ceremony held in the capital, Yerevan.

The award was made in recognition of Professor Darzi’s achievements in the fields of science and medicine and for the part he has played in strengthening UK-Armenia relations.

Professor Darzi, whose grandparents were born in Armenia, has strong ties with the nation. His visits there have seen him perform operations, help to educate doctors and supply surgical kits and training. He has also facilitated visits by Armenian doctors to the UK.

Strengthening relations

He is currently advising the Government on the development of a cancer strategy for the country, and earlier this year was appointed to the selection panel for the Aurora Prize, established to mark the centenary of the Armenian genocide and chaired by the US actor George Clooney.

In a recent lecture at the American University of Armenia about innovation in healthcare quality and safety, Professor Darzi stressed the importance of listening to patients: “If you really care about the quality of healthcare you have to get feedback from patients,” he said.

Medical staff must be able to learn from their mistakes, he added, and punishment is not the answer: “Punishment will suppress the errors and drive them underground. Graver errors will then occur and the health system will become less protected. We have to be able to learn from our mistakes.”