Four Jamaican Nurses Honoured

Four Jamaican nurses were among 12 persons who received the Queen Medal Award, at a special ceremony organised by Windrush Nurses and Beyond Foundation, at the Dorchester Hotel, in London, on July 27.

The nurses are Henrietta Millicent Campbell, Avis Williams-McKoy, Lucretia Riley and Dr. Neslyn Watson-Druée, CBE.

These medals were bestowed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to recognise those who had contributed to the community during the reign of the current Monarch, as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Aloun N’dombet-Assamba, who was at the ceremony, said she was pleased to see that some of the pioneers and stalwarts of the nursing profession from the Caribbean were being honoured and recognised for their contribution to British society.

Baroness Rosalind Howells of St. David’s, patron of the Foundation, said “it is with great pride we continue to celebrate these unique achievers and inspirational trail-blazers, who will leave a legacy for years to come.”

She added that the awards further endorsed the contributions of those migrants who came from the Caribbean in the 1940s and afterwards, to work and build up the National Health Service (NHS).

Between 1948 and 1973, as many as 100,000 nurses from the Caribbean and Africa came to work and train as nurses in the NHS.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health, Dr. Dan Poulter, said he was pleased to mark the important contribution the awardees have made to society.

“They have played an essential role in delivering health care across our communities and are an inspiration to many,” he said.

The average age of the Windrush nurses was 19, and many of them would go on to dedicate over 40 years of service to the NHS.

The other Queen Medal Award recipients are: Verna Springer, Suresh Rambaran, Jamie Clarke, Alice Chinewaru, Shirla Philogene, OBE, Nora Parker, Dr. Nola Ishmael, OBE, and Sylvia McLean.