Published on 2 January 2026
A Merseyside GP who has given dedicated service to people with cancer and their families has been given a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list.
King Charles has recognised the work of Dr Graeme Allan, Volunteer Medical Director at Southport Macmillan Centre and former Cancer Lead GP in Sefton with Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA).
Dr Allan has worked in a health commissioning role for cancer services for more than 20 years and was one of the Cancer Alliance’s network of Lead GPs until his retirement from that role in May 2024.
One of his most significant achievements was establishing a local cancer navigator service, which ensures all newly diagnosed cancer patients in Southport and Formby have universal access to support, including helping with emotional, psychological and lifestyle needs.
Dr Allan said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to be nominated by my colleagues for a British Empire Medal. I have been lucky enough to be part of an amazing team, working to improve the care and support available locally to people affected by cancer in Southport and Formby over the last 25 years.
“Co-founding the Southport Macmillan Centre has been one of the highpoints of my clinical career, and to now be mentioned in the King’s New Year’s Honours List for work I have loved being a part of, is, quite simply, the icing on the cake.”
Dr Debbie Harvey, CMCA Associate Medical Director and Primary Care Lead, said: “On behalf of the Cancer Alliance, I am delighted to see that Graeme’s hugely dedicated work on cancer care has been recognised in this way.
“His commitment to the care and support of people with cancer and their families in north Sefton has been exemplary and his work was influential to the whole of Cheshire and Merseyside over the many years he worked as a GP Cancer Lead.”