‘All nurses and midwives make a difference that is immeasurable’

As we mark the 75th birthday of the NHS, it is only right that we recognise the immense contribution of our nursing and midwifery colleagues.

Nurses, midwives and care staff have always been at the heart of our health service – across all settings and at every stage of people’s lives, they play a crucial role in ensuring the NHS delivers the best possible care and support to the communities it serves.

As well as marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS, this year also marks 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush landed in the UK, following an invitation from the UK government to help build a “post-war Britain”.

The history of Windrush and that of the NHS are inextricably linked; some of its passengers from the Caribbean became the NHS’s first employees and some of the first NHS nurses, when it was launched just two weeks later.

Nurses, midwives and care staff from the Windrush generation and their descendants have made, and continue to make, an enormous contribution to the NHS.

Today, our internationally educated nurses and midwives, alongside other internationally educated colleagues, remain an integral part of our workforce, which represents more than 200 nationalities.

I am proud that our nursing and midwifery workforce is one of the most diverse. Nurses from the global majority represent almost 30% of substantively employed nurses across the NHS in England and in London specifically, this rises to 50%.

As the largest collective workforce in the NHS, it is imperative that we continue our work to improve equity of opportunity for all nurses and midwives and embed inclusive leadership, building on the NHS principles of dignity and respect, compassion and equality.

Looking back over the past 75 years, we can see the enormous strides that our nursing profession has taken.

Since the first nursing undergraduate course was established in 1960, nursing education has adapted to reflect the needs of a highly technical and highly skilled profession.

This also paved the way for the development of advanced practice, reflecting the depth and breadth of our profession.

In the last decade, we have expanded the role of nursing leadership, ensuring that the nursing voice is central to decision-making at all levels.

This includes the requirement for a registered nurse on every NHS trust board being introduced in the early 2000s, the first appointments of regional chief nurses in 2016, and in the last year, the creation of the integrated care system chief nurse role.

The NHS has always evolved and adapted to meet the needs of the growing and ever-changing population of people it cares for.

I am proud to see nursing at the forefront of such advancements and innovations – including in breakthroughs in genomics and playing a leading role in digital transformation across health and social care.

While momentous milestones like the NHS’s 75th anniversary offer a chance to reflect, it is also an opportunity to look forward.

Alongside colleagues from across the professions and with the chief midwifery officer for England Kate Brintworth, I am continuing to develop my professional strategy for nursing and midwifery, which will set out our vision for the professions over the next five years.

Launching later this year, it will help to define the vital role of our professions in leading and delivering high quality care across health and social care and highlight how we can contribute to the key ambitions and priorities of the entire system.

Over the past three years, our professions – and the NHS as a whole – have faced incredible challenges. Despite these, nursing, midwifery and care colleagues continue to put their patients first and I remain so proud of the teamwork, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our professions each and every day.

We know that volunteers also make a massive contribution to the NHS, and, during the pandemic, we saw the vital role of volunteering demonstrated as never before. We want to ensure we can take volunteering in health and care services to a new level.

That’s why, following the publication of the NHS Volunteering Taskforce report and recommendations, we will be supporting systems to provide a wide range of rewarding roles for our volunteers so that they can have the best possible experience themselves, continue to support our staff and enrich patients’ experiences.

As we look forward, we must not shy away from the challenges the NHS and our professions continue to face. We must listen to our highly-skilled workforce and support them to stay, stay well and thrive in their roles.

As we mark the NHS’s 75th anniversary, I want to say thank you to all our nursing and midwifery colleagues who are a part of our health and social care services. The difference you make to the NHS and social care – and those you care for – is immeasurable.

Dame Ruth May is chief nursing officer for England