Barts Health nurses recognised in International Nurses Day celebrations
- Barts Health nurses were recognised in this year's International Nurses Day (May 12 2021) through two events held by The Florence Nightingale Foundation and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children Charity
- Transition Specialist Nurse Neil Fletcher and Epilepsy Specialist Nurse Lynn Keen were invited to The Whittington Hospital (part of Whittington Health NHS Trust) to be recognised for their work by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
- The Florence Nightingale Foundation held a service at Westminster Abbey to thank and pay tribute to all nurses who worked on the Covid-19 frontline with Barts Health nurses and management in attendance.
This International Nurses Day was made extra special for some Barts Health nurses, with the help of some VIP guests.
Firstly, Transition Specialist Nurse Neil Fletcher and Epilepsy Specialist Nurse Lynn Keen, who also hold nursing roles with the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, were invited to The Whittington Hospital (part of Whittington Health NHS Trust) to be recognised for their work by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.
The Duchess, who is Royal Patron of the charity gave her personal thanks to Neil, Lynn and others invited and also spoke to some of the seriously ill children and families under their care.
Her visit culminated in delivering a hand-written letter to all the nurses, thanking them for the support they had provided to their patients throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Neil Fletcher, Roald Dahl Clinical Nurse Specialist for teenagers and young adults at Barts Health NHS Trust said: “It was a pleasure to meet Her Royal Highness today and to be a part of this special visit. International Nurses’ Day means a lot to me and being able to celebrate it in this way has been incredible. I love being a Roald Dahl Transition Specialist Nurse and supporting seriously ill young people to the best of my ability is so important to me.”
Elsewhere, The Florence Nightingale Foundation held a service at Westminster Abbey to thank and pay tribute to all nurses who worked on the Covid-19 frontline.
Barts Health representatives in attendance included Jacqueline Marshall, Associate Director of Nursing Cancer & Surgery, Darren Barnes, Senior Change Manager, Caroline Alexander, Group Director of Nursing and Neil Fletcher.
Actress Helena Bonham-Carter, a relation of Florence Nightingale was also in attendance as well as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Caroline Alexander, Group Director of Nursing, Barts Health said: “It was an absolute honour to be at the ceremony, this year of all years. I know if Florence Nightingale was here today she would be so proud of the profession and its incredible contribution to our pandemic response. To have three of our inspirational nurses, all Florence Nightingale scholars, playing a role in the ceremony was wonderful. I am so proud of them all.”