History of nursing

Health and care organisations must be “quick and firm” in their actions against staff members who display racist behaviours, a high-profile nurse has urged. Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, vice-president of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) and patron of the Mary Seacole Trust, has spoken out about the importance of organisations taking…

Efforts have been made to commemorate the life and work of a trailblazing nurse who moved to the UK from the Caribbean in the 1800s. Annie Brewster became a leader in the field of eye care and was known by colleagues as ‘Nurse Ophthalmic’. Ms Brewster worked at the London…

A steam locomotive in North Yorkshire has been renamed “Nightingale and Seacole” to honour the courage of nurses working on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic. The locomotive, which was built in 1916, previously had the name “Illingworth”, and runs on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway which is…

A hospital in London has unveiled a new painting honouring Crimean War nursing pioneer Mary Seacole in the hope it will allow patients and staff to “sit, reflect and be inspired by her”. The painting, which depicts Ms Seacole in 1857 in her home in Soho Square in the capital,…

A team from Nursing Times has taken part in the annual fundraising event for Cavell Nurses’ Trust, with members completing a 10km walk through London. On the afternoon of Thursday 7 October, the group did the 10k For Nurses & Midwives challenge in support of the charity, which seeks to…

A new direction has been announced for the Mary Seacole Awards leadership programme, which funds nurse-led projects focused on improving health services for ethnic minority communities. The running of the awards is being taken over by the Mary Seacole Trust and the Florence Nightingale Foundation, as part of a move…

A senior nurse has stressed that racism remains a problem in the UK and in the NHS that needs to be addressed, following a controversial government-commissioned report that appeared to downplay the issue. Professor Mark Radford, chief nurse at Health Education England, spoke during an online showcase for nurses and…

A new rehabilitation facility named after one of the UK’s most respected nursing figures and dedicated to helping patients recover from the long-term effects of coronavirus has received its first patients, according to NHS England. The NHS Seacole Centre will provide enhanced community services to patients who have ongoing health problems…

A new temporary community hospital named after British-Jamaican nursing pioneer Mary Seacole is opening in Surrey for people who are recovering from Covid-19 as well as other conditions. The new unit based at Headley Court Hospital in Leatherhead is expected to be the first of a wave of new "Seacole services"…

The Covid-19 outbreak is putting a stark lens on the inequalities faced by nurses from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, according to a diversity lead who warned that despite giving their lives to care for others, BME staff were being treated of a lesser value. In an interview with…