A BOROUGH health award is to be created in memory of tragic Stourbridge GP Dr Liz Pope in recognition of her work to improve the public’s health across Dudley.

The 38-year-old, who worked at Three Villages Medical Practice in Amblecote and Wollaston, died two hours after crashing her car on a country lane near her home in Claverley last November.

Such was the esteem in which she was held in the borough – she was honoured posthumously for her work as a GP and as a member of Dudley’s Clinical Commissioning Group at a ceremony in Parliament organised by Public Health Minister Jane Ellison.

And now the CCG has announced a new borough health award is to be set up in Dudley in her memory.

Dr David Hegarty, chairman of Dudley CCG, said Dr Pope “gave many years of hard work and dedication to help the people of Dudley enjoy healthier lives” and he added: “Her outstanding contribution to our CCG, as a board member and as a GP, and the wider health economy of Dudley, is also being recognised with the creation of the Liz Pope Award for Outstanding Contribution which will be part of our inaugural awards ceremony later this year.”

The awards, which will be held on June 17, will celebrate the CCG’s first year as a local leader of the NHS.

Dr Hegarty added: “We want to recognise the hard work and invaluable contribution made across health and social care by so many people - CCG staff, GPs in our member practices, practice staff, and colleagues from partner organisations.”

Dr Pope, who overcame her own health problems – including thyroid cancer and a hole in the heart, is credited by Stourbridge MP Margot James as having pioneered a Dudley dementia service, helping her GP practice to become one of the highest performing in the borough and for leaving health care in Dudley “far better in many ways than it was before she began her work in the borough”.

An inquest into her death is due to be held in Shrewsbury on May 23.