England’s chief nursing officer Dame Ruth May to retire

The chief nursing officer (CNO) for England has announced that she will retire.

Dame Ruth May, who has held the CNO post since 2019, said today that she will step down from the national role later this year.

Previously, Dame Ruth was director of nursing at NHS Improvement, a post she had held since 2016. She stepped into the CNO role following the departure of Jane Cummings.

"My role as CNO has, undoubtedly, been the highlight of my career in the NHS and has been a privilege"

Ruth May

NHS England has now confirmed that Dame Ruth will retire as CNO, after five years in post.

During her tenure, Dame Ruth has overseen some of the most poignant moments in nursing’s history and has been recognised for her accomplishments.

In June 2022, she was awarded a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to nursing, midwifery and the NHS.

Upon receiving this award, Dame Ruth recognised the expertise of nursing and midwifery colleagues in caring for people at every stage of their lives and the vital role that the professions and care staff played during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most notably, Dame Ruth led the nursing, midwifery and care professions’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic, after being CNO for just under a year.

During this time, she supported hundreds of thousands of nurses who were giving care on the frontlines in unprecedented circumstances.

Meanwhile, Dame Ruth has also overseen several other important developments in the nursing world in recent years.

For example, last year the government finally reached its target of 50,000 additional registered nurses in England.

The commitment for more nurses came from the government's 2019 election manifesto, in which it pledged to increase the FTE number of registered nurses working in the NHS by 50,000 by March 2024.

Meanwhile, Dame Ruth also unveiled a brand new vision for nurses, midwives and nursing associates in England last year, which she said would “inspire a new direction for nursing and midwifery in England”.

This means, for the first time, nurses, midwives and nursing associates across all settings would have a shared vision for the way in which they practice.

The final version of the more detailed strategy is expected in the coming months.

“Ruth leaves big shoes to fill"

Amanda Pritchard

On social media site X, Dame Ruth said: "My role as CNO has, undoubtedly, been the highlight of my career in the NHS and has been a privilege.

"Throughout this time, I have had the honour of caring for patients and worked alongside fantastic colleagues.

"Although recent years have been the most challenging for the NHS, nurses, midwives, nursing associates and health and care support staff have together achieved so much."

Dame Ruth began her career in nursing undertaking a variety of roles, before becoming a theatre sister at Frimley Park Hospital.

She was acting director of nursing at Barnet Hospital before being appointed the substantive director of nursing and deputy chief executive with Havering Primary Care Trust.

In October 2005, Dame Ruth became chief executive of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, a post she held for two years.

She has also been chief executive of Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust.

Other posts she has held include director of nursing at Monitor, the former healthcare sector regulator, deputy CNO for England and national director for infection prevention and control.

Commenting on her departure, the chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, said: “Throughout her career, Ruth has worked tirelessly to nurture the next generations of NHS nursing and midwifery leaders, and to support nurses, nursing associates, midwives and healthcare support staff to do their very best for their patients and families.”

Ms Pritchard noted that Ruth had worked “effectively behind the scenes” to secure real improvements for staff and patients, including dedicated funding for continued professional development and the reinstatement of maintenance grants for learners.

She added: “I will personally miss Ruth’s dedication and commitment to the NHS, to the professions she leads, and to our patients, which comes across so strongly in everything she does.

“Ruth leaves big shoes to fill, but I am grateful that she will stay with us for a while yet as we start the search for our next CNO, giving us all plenty of time to say our personal thanks and goodbyes.”

Nursing organisations have thanked Dame Ruth for her contribution to nursing and midwifery.

The chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Andrea Sutcliffe, said Dame Ruth had been “a very visible chief nursing officer”.

She said: “At the same time, she’s worked tirelessly behind the scenes on expanding the workforce and securing improvements, including new funding for continued professional development for nurses and midwives.

“Ruth has also been a staunch advocate for internationally educated colleagues and Black, ethnic minority professionals, with a commitment to promoting anti-racism.

“On behalf of everyone at the NMC, I want to thank Ruth for her tireless dedication and exceptional contribution as a selfless public servant."

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing’s general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullen, said: "Ruth has been the strongest ambassador for nursing over five very difficult years for our profession.

"We have worked extremely closely in recent years and her personal support and wise counsel has been invaluable.

"On behalf of hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in England today, the RCN thanks Ruth for her service and her leadership